Manatee County School District

The Manatee County School District in West Florida provides education to 42,000 students and employs over 7,000 people. The superintendent of the Manatee County School District places an emphasis on the five c’s: calmness, consistency, civility, confidence, and community.

The School Board of Manatee School District voted to appoint Dr. Diana Greene on June 9, 2015 as Superintendent. Dr. Greene has been in education with more than 28 years of experience.

Jason Harris is the Director of Transportation and Vehicle Maintenance. Special groups are assigned to determine bus routes for eligible students, and for training and safety.

There are seven high schools, ten middle schools, and thirty-five elementary schools in the Manatee County School District.
Breakfast, considered to be the most important meal of the day, is free to all students every day, and each student receives the latest edition of Microsoft Office for free.

Parents are encouraged to be involved as they are considered important aspects of their students’ education. Parents have access to online parent portals. Each school within the Manatee County School District has a school advisory council (SAC), and school improvement plans (SIP). Parents can also stay involved with their students’ education by volunteering in the classrooms, chaperoning field trips, attending special events and activities, and more.

The Manatee County School District, according to an article in the Bradenton Herald, will spend nearly $1.5 million for resource officers in the district’s schools for the 2015-16 school year. This funding for school resource officers covers the high schools, middle schools, and a small portion of elementary schools. Overall, the district will spend $1,471,201.75 for 23 school resource officers and two supervisors, according to the paper.

Although the Manatee County School District has faced controversy regarding some of its spending and administrative costs, there are also records of the school district taking action to save funds.

According to Bob Gehle, program administrator for Nuance’s Equitrac Express, Manatee County schools “saved $500,000 through centralized print management in an effort to consolidate time and resources.” An estimated two hours per teacher, per month—the equivalent of 5,000 teaching hours—has also been saved. The schools, according to Gehle, implemented Equitrac Express®, a program integrated with the entire printing infrastructure to save time and money.

The district spends, on average, about $11,065 per student. There are approximately 17 students for every teacher in the Manatee County School District in Florida.

The Manatee County School District’s mission is clearly stated “to inspire our students with a passion for learning— empowered to pursue their dreams confidently and creatively, while contributing to our community, nation, and world.”

Manatee County Schools support an open enrollment policy, meaning parents and students are free to apply for the school of their choice.

Manatee County Schools are rightfully proud of their achievements. Students excel in caring classrooms, in special programs, and with the attention and involvements of their parents. Every child is offered breakfast free of charge on a daily basis, and is provided with the necessary software to complete required tasks.

Interested in buying or selling a home in Manatee County? Call us today at 941-564-9491