- September 5, 2026
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Laurie Breslin, the superintendent of the School District of Manatee County, said if a parent is engaged in their child’s educational journey, that child will have a better opportunity to succeed.
A mother of three high school graduates and a current sixth grader, Breslin makes sure to ask her son, William Breslin, all about his day ... every day. What did you learn? What are you most proud of accomplishing today?
“You're going to hear the excitement about their day and it's of huge importance because it shows the child what they're doing in school matters,” Breslin said. “If it matters to you, it will matter to them as well.”
The School District of Manatee County achieved a 90% graduation rate for the 2025-2026 school year. It is the highest in the district’s history.
“The end goal is not 90%,” Breslin said. “The end goal is to be at a rate higher than the state (average of 92.2), and then continue that expectation year after year.
"We're closing the gap and we'll keep working on that.”
Graduation rates for each high school are 97% for Lakewood Ranch and Parrish, 95% for Southeast, 94% for Braden River, 91% for Manatee and Palmetto and 90% for Bayshore.
Graduation rates are determined by how many students enter a school or district for their freshman year of high school. Breslin said it could include students who were only there a week, their whole freshman year or students who transfer in along the way.
Breslin said it is crucial to have good data tracking which follows students who transfer or move and make sure the correct withdrawal process is being recorded.
“You (could) end up with a student on your record that could be coded as a dropout, when in fact they could be engaged in their education in another state and have earned their degree,” Breslin said.
While graduation rates aren’t measured until high school, the level of education and growth in early education has a profound impact.
“We offer rigorous, strong instruction and it makes a difference in every way possible toward third grade reading, engagement on campus and getting parents involved immediately in the education,” Breslin said.
The Soar Lab is one way the district gets young students engaged from early on. There were over 2,000 visitors in the month of July alone.
“We're putting the power of teaching students in the hands of parents and they're partnering with us,” Breslin said. “We greet their children for kindergarten and move them through high school graduation. The positive impact we see is if they start preschool with us, likely they will stay. Parents understand the quality of teachers and the quality of principals we have in our school system.”
When Breslin took office as superintendent, one of her goals was to reach that 90% graduation rate. She said it was possible by the work of the students, strong teachers, school leaders, counselors and college career advisors. Everyone has to be on the same page.
Breslin said Lisa Lyons, the director of student services, was hired to help patch holes in their system in 2023. She was tasked with meeting with schools on a monthly basis to talk about students down on an individual level.
“Once you have that clarity and consistency, the sky's the limit,” Breslin said.
Breslin acknowledged that the district hasn’t always been great at record keeping. In 2022, the Florida Department of Education reprimanded Cynthia Saunders, who was superintendent at the time, for her role in inflating graduation rates between 2014 and 2016.
The East County Observer reported that in the 2014-2015 school year, only six of 121 students withdrawn from school were properly coded.
Breslin said she wasn't at the district at the time, but she is all about transparency.
"It's monitored from the highest spot, me the superintendent, all the way down to be sure that nothing is done in isolation," Breslin said. "It's checked multiple times, so the information that we are providing has been thoroughly vetted. It's good and solid results. That's best for children."
Breslin said any time professionals are working on a data point, there are quick fixes and ones that have long term success. They look at how changes impact the students immediately and the long term impact.
“It's not about getting a quick win, it's about creating a system that students continue to thrive in and our staff continues to have the support that they need,” Breslin said. “That happens by having a clear system and communicating.”
Breslin called it collective efficacy — everyone understands their system, their part and the why.
When it comes to graduation rates, attendance is a critical component. Last year the school district launched its “Showing Up Matters” campaign to bring awareness and encouragement.
“It’s important that our students understand that every single day, starting from Day One, has an effect on your success in school,” Breslin said. “Whether that leads to a graduation, a higher GPA or completion of courses. Beyond that, it's also just about your well-being.”
A big part of this is being engaged on campus with extracurricular activities whether it be clubs, arts, athletics or anything else that attracts their attention. When students are more involved they are more content and they are more likely to come to school.
“We find when students don't come to school, they obviously don't have the opportunity to engage in these activities,” Breslin said. “Then there's that disconnect where they'll say, ‘I don't feel connected to my campus.’ The way to prevent that is to reduce the amount of times they're not on the campus.”
