- December 4, 2025
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Anyone appointed as superintendent of the School District of Manatee County will be under pressure, but Laurie Breslin is going to feel more than most.
“When you live and breathe this community, you know that you have to come through," Breslin said after her selection by the school board Aug. 26. "You have to be the leader they think you can be. The feedback has been overwhelming, and it's given me momentum and direction to make sure that we do this right.”
No matter what happens in the future, Breslin said her focus always will be on the students first.
“Sometimes in education, there are things that occur outside of our locus of control,” Breslin said. “How you react to that is key. Our job, regardless of what is coming at us, is to keep our focus on the students. Regardless of the distractions that might be going on around us, what we do for that student every day is the most important thing.”
Breslin grew up going to Manatee County schools — Martha B. King Middle School and Manatee High School — and graduated in 1995. She went on to hold various roles within the school district, most recently as the executive director of student support and family engagement for the School District of Manatee County.
Although she has spent years with the district, she initially thought about a career in communications. Having family members in the teaching field eventually swayed her to switch.
“I was able to see what magical instruction looks like and from that point on, I was hooked,” Breslin said. “There wasn't anything I ever wanted to do except work in the school environment and support students and support teachers.”
Breslin said her love of teaching grew into working with adults. She finds great joy from working with principals and assistant principals and seeing them succeed.
“You need to have meaning in what you do, that's what fulfills you,” Breslin said.
Breslin has five main areas of education in which she wants to focus and improve in the district.
Breslin wants to boost English language arts achievement on all levels, with a laser focus on improving early learning. Raising third grade reading proficiency has been a district-wide goal and Breslin said they have a lot of potential to grow. All elementary schools now have literacy coaches to assist in that endeavor.
“If your vision is not on point and it's not putting students first, then that's when you're going to go off track with student achievement,” Breslin said. I'm not just talking about state data, I'm talking about achievement in all their extracurriculars, their enjoyment of school, their desire to return the next day, and be a part of their school community.”
“I want to make sure we're supporting our principals and supporting our teachers, because if we support our teachers, our students will soar,” Breslin said.
The School District of Manatee County finances are at a positive level, previously stable, according to The Moody’s Ratings Credit Opinion of July 31.
Breslin said she is looking forward to examining all areas of the organization to make sure that the district is being as efficient as possible in terms of finances.
“The community can feel confident and continue to support us,” Breslin said. They supported us so heavily and we never want to lose that trust.”
Rezoning for next school year will be an important process for the district.
“We have a lot of growth that we have experienced over the years, and we need to examine our systems to make sure we are being as supportive as we can be with the additional students that we've been able to bring into our district,” Breslin said.
Breslin said she's wants the School District of Manate County to be the best choice for parents who are trying to figure out where to send their child.
Breslin said she wants to make sure the district is factual, transparent and timely with all information.
“I need to be hands-on to make sure we're (being transparent) in a district this size. You have to prioritize making yourself accessible, otherwise that opportunity to hear feedback doesn't occur.”
Breslin said she wants to explore the idea of a community focus group in order to get feedback. She is also exploring ways in which to communicate more effectively on a larger scale.
“I'll be honest, I've been to town halls where there's very little attendance, and so that might not be the best way,” Breslin said. “Maybe it needs to be virtual.”
Breslin said that when communicating on a virtual level, there is always some sort of metric that can be measured.
“I think we have to get savvy and we have a fantastic communications team to help us on this,” Breslin said. “Our wonderful IT department can measure how our communication is being accessed, and then we can hit it out of the park with how we communicate.”
Attendance has been a struggle for the School District of Manatee County. Breslin said raising attendance can be as simple as reengaging and they may need community organizations and mentors to help the district pursue that effort.
“We have to convince our students and families the best place for students during the school day is in their classroom with their highly effective teacher,” Breslin said. “If we can improve attendance, we'll see some of those learning gaps close along the way.”
Breslin is also looking forward to continuing to raise the graduation rate. For the 2024-2025 school year, the district was at 88%.
“We've seen huge improvements and now the next step, phase two, is to make sure that every graduate has a college or career plan.”
Breslin's contract is expected to be finalized Sept. 9 and she will start her duties as superintendent in early September.
