Committee challenges school district officials

A newly formed group of business leaders and citizens today will call for action against top Manatee County School District officials.

The Committee for Improving Education of Children in Manatee County at 4:30 p.m. today will call for the immediate termination of Manatee County School Board attorney John Bowen and for an outside investigation of recent lawsuits, including one against a the parents of an autistic child.

The committee also is seeking the initiation of a nationwide search for superintendent, an investigation of whether school board members are being restricted from vocalizing problems they find within the district, an investigation of of why the district's per-student costs are high and for an outside investigation of the Manatee Education Foundation and how it benefits the district.

Several members of CIEC were part of the Manatee County School District's Budget Committee.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].