(LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL) – Lakewood Ranch High School first opened for the 1998-1999 school year with only freshmen and sophomores, who later become the class of 2001.

That means the school is a little more than a decade-and-a-half old and for the first time it’s older than some of the students. Many of this year’s freshmen were born in 2000-2001. They’re 14 or 15 years old while our school is now 16.

Even though the math is undeniable, the numbers still come as a surprise to some people on campus.

“I used to think this school was new but this put it in perspective,” said LRHS science teacher Faust DeLazzer, who was also the school’s first football coach. “I’ve really been working here for longer then I thought.”

Even some freshmen seem surprised by the issue.

“It seems weird that the school is older than me, it doesn’t seem that old.” commented Hayley Reinoehl.

Alex Fallacaro enjoys being younger than the school.

“It’s cool that a building is older than me,” he said