Exciting school year ahead for Manatee schools

Letter from the superintendent

Two new schools opening, security precautions expanding, and student achievement rising are reasons to be excited about the opening of the 2025-2026 school year in the School District of Manatee County.

The first day of school is Aug. 11, and on that day Harvey K-8 at Copperstone in Parrish, and Lake Manatee K-8 in Lakewood Ranch, will welcome students through their doors and into classrooms for their very first day. Both schools offer families unique options for their children’s primary and middle school years, which is an imaginative option during this time of expanding school choice.

Safety and security are always our first priority, so starting Aug. 11, all Manatee district middle and high school students will be screened daily with highly sophisticated weapons detections systems upon entering their campuses. The systems are fast and seamless, like those used at major sporting events and concerts.

During the previous school year, high school students were screened daily and middle school students were screened periodically. Feedback on the screenings was so positive the school board chose to extend that added layer of security to all district secondary schools, thanks in large part to the millage referendum funding passed by Manatee County voters in November 2024.

While I am writing this article prior to the release of 2024-2025 state testing results, it’s important to know that Manatee district schools have established a consistent pattern of improvement in state testing during the last decade. Results from the 2023-2024 school year are a good example of the improving scores.

Twenty district schools earned A grades from the state in 2023-2024; and 15 schools earned a higher grade than the previous school year. In addition, three district Title 1 schools made historical gains as Abel Elementary earned an A for the first time since 2011, Ballard Elementary jumped from a D to B, and Tillman Elementary received its first A grade in school history. Parrish Community High, Manatee County’s youngest high school, also earned its first A grade.

courtesy photo

That same year, the district’s graduation rate rose by 3.4 percentage points, moving from 82.3 percent to 85.7 percent. Preliminary results for the 2024-2025 state testing look promising and we expect the trend of rising scores to continue.

Speaking of trends, continued development and population growth in the eastern and northern portions of our county continue to impact our schools in those areas.Two new elementary schools – one in Artisan Lakes and the other at Rye Ranch - are scheduled to open their doors for the 2026-2027 school year.

With ongoing renovation of existing schools also taking place, more than $600 million in district construction projects are currently in progress, which is a great example of your tax dollars at work. The school district is a powerful economic engine for Manatee County that provides jobs and opportunities for area residents and businesses.

To accommodate the growth in our schools, our district is currently engaged in an extensive rezoning process. Ten community meetings have been held (five in May, five in June) to inform the public and to gather input into the rezoning process.Those meetings and resulting input have helped shape rezoning maps and options for most of Manatee County, and the opportunity for input will continue through Friday, Aug. 15.

For more information on the rezoning process, please visit www.manateeschools.net/rezoningprocess.

Finally, on behalf of our students and employees, I want to personally thank the citizens of Manatee County for your unwavering support of our public schools. The full force of your support was perhaps never more apparent than Nov. 4, 2024, when 83% of county voters approved the renewal of the additional mill.

Those funds are now being used to strengthen safety and security; add 30 minutes of instruction to each school day; recruit and retain high-quality teachers and staff; offer real-world workforce education; increase opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math; enhance arts and athletics; expand early literacy programs; and support local charter schools.

We are proud to be an important part of this beautiful and dynamic community. We are the School District of Manatee County – a Tradition of Excellence!

Kevin Chapman

Interim Superintendent

School District of Manatee County