News Briefs

+ District uploads new information system
Parents of Manatee County high school students now can access their children’s academic information online.

The Manatee County School District’s new web-based information system, FOCUS, has merged all student record-keeping activities so parents now can use the parent portal to view their child’s grades and attendance.

To access the portal, parents must turn in their school’s required form.

Access to middle school children’s grades will be available Nov. 28, and parents of elementary school students will be able to access the information in early 2012.

+ County, school board agree on redistricting
Members of the Manatee County School Board and Manatee County Board of County Commissioners reached an agreement Nov. 15 on a joint redistricting plan.

The boards agreed to move forward with redistricting Plan D. County commissioners were slated to vote on the plan Nov. 21, after the East County Observer went to press, while School Board members would vote on the plan in December.

The new redistricting map affects only the boundaries each board member or commissioner represents.

During last week’s discussions, officials also discussed the fact that the county and school board districts are not aligned. Officials said they will work, over the next few years, to correct the issue so District 1 boundaries are the same for both the District 1 school board member and county commissioner. Currently, voters in the School Board’s District 1 precinct are in the county’s District 2, for example.

+ East County stuffs bus for Food Bank
East County families rallied to support The Food Bank of Manatee this weekend, donating more than 120,000 pounds of food during the Manatee County Public School District’s Stuff the Bus campaign.
School buses were parked outside all Manatee County Publix locations Nov. 19-20 and ready to be filled with non-perishable food items for the Food Bank.

“The Food Bank supplies food items to more than 100 food pantries across Manatee County,” School Superintendent Tim McGonegal said. “They really need the support of our school district and community as we get ready to enter this coming holiday season.”

Last year’s Stuff the Bus event collected more than 84,000 pounds of food.