| School District of Manatee County | |
| Motto: | Inspiring our Students to Learn, Dream and Achieve |
| Type: | Public |
| Budget: | $1056 million[1] |
| Region: | West Florida |
| Grades: | K-12 |
| Superintendent: | Dr. Jason C. Wysong |
| Teachers: | 3,500 |
| Staff: | 7,000 |
| Students: | 50,000 |
| Location: | Manatee County, Florida |
| Country: | United States |
| Website: | School District of Manatee County |
The School District of Manatee County, in Manatee County, Florida, provides education to over 50,000 students. It employs over 7,000 people.
The School District is managed by the Manatee County School Board and the Superintendent. Dr. Jason C. Wysong is the current Superintendent of Schools. Current Manatee County School Board members are Gina Messenger, District 1; Charlie Kennedy, District 2; Mary Foreman, District 3; Chad Choate, District 4; and Rev. James Golden, District 5.
As of June 2019, SDMC has achieved an overall ranking of “B,” according to the Florida Department of Education's school grade system, which is based on the New Florida Standards and Florida Standard Assessments (FSA) test results.
The district's administrative offices are primarily located in Bradenton, Florida at 215 Manatee Avenue West. The School District of Manatee County is governed by the School Board of Manatee County, a body of five elected officers, each board member representing a particular geographic area. The current School Board members, in order of district number, are: Gina Messenger, Charlie Kennedy, Mary Foreman, Chad Choate, and Rev. James Golden. Board members are elected every four years, with Districts 2, 4, 5 elected during midterm election cycles (next in 2022) and Districts 1, 3 elected during presidential cycles (next in 2020).
| Name | District | Biography | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gina Messenger | 1 | Gina K. Messenger she grew up in Northwest Bradenton and graduated from Manatee High School in 2005. Many members of Gina's family served as public service role models. Gina's grandmother, Carmela Busciglio, was a teacher in Manatee County. Her father, Joe worked in the Manatee County Health Department for 38 years and her Mother, Karla, is a registered nurse. An early experience volunteering at Jessie P. Miller as a high school student influenced Gina's decision to become a teacher. Gina's sister is also a teacher and educates college students in Tampa. Gina attended the University of Central Florida received many awards, including The President's List and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education in 2009. After graduating she went on to teach in Marion and Orange Counties. Her experience teaching rural and inner-city environments emphasized her focus on the importance of Title I (high poverty) and early childhood education. While teaching in Orange County, Gina was rated a “highly effective” teacher. Gina married her college sweetheart in 2012 in Orlando. Gina and her husband live in Parrish and have a single daughter.[2] | |
| Charlie Kennedy | 2 | Charlie Kennedy grew up in Pittsburgh attending Mt. Lebanon High School and, before moving to Bradenton, had been coming to Manatee County since being a young fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates and their spring training home. Kennedy earned a B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh (1994) and Masters of Education from Duquesne University (2003). Kennedy moved to Bradenton in 2004 where he began his teaching career. Kennedy has been a teacher of Social Studies and other subjects at YouthBuild Public Charter School in Washington, DC, the Pendleton School at IMG Academies and Manatee High School. Recently, prior to becoming a School Board Member, Kennedy was an 11th and 12th grade teacher of U.S. History, Economics and Government at Manatee High School.[3] | |
| Mary Foreman | 3 | Mary and her family have lived in Bradenton since 2001. Mary received her bachelor’s degree in Accounting at Florida Atlantic University and worked as a CPA until her retirement in 2019. She and her husband, Gary, have been married for 45 years. Their two children, John (graduated Manatee High School 2005) and Kate (Bradenton Christian School, 2001), have both gone on to earn advanced degrees. Mary has been a member of the Manatee County School District’s Audit Committee since its inception in 2013 and was its recent Chairperson. Accordingly, Mary has deep familiarity with the District’s budget and operations. She is uniquely positioned to make sure that money for education is used for the greatest benefit of the students. Mary has volunteered countless hours reviewing the work of the District’s auditors and making recommendations to the School Board based on the audit reports. She has worked to ensure accountability. In addition to active involvement in her children’s education, Mary was a member of the Manatee County High School SAC for 2001 through 2005 and served as its Treasurer for 3 years.[4] | |
| Chad Choate | 4 | Chad Choate was appointed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on August 6, 2021 to fill the vacancy created by the departure of Dr. Scott Hopes. Mr. Choate's appointment term expires in November 2022. He has stated publicly that he intends to run for election to the seat in the 2022 election cycle. | |
| Rev. James Golden | 5 | No bio available.[5] |
Mrs. Cynthia Saunders was sworn in as Superintendent of the School District of Manatee County on June 28, 2018, following the departure of former Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene, who was named Superintendent of Duval County Public Schools.
On February 12, 2019, the School Board approved a contract to retain Mrs. Saunders as the full-time Superintendent moving forward. Board members cited her performance as Superintendent during the previous seven months, her in-depth knowledge of issues confronting the school district and the fact that her leadership would bring a sense of stability to the district as strong reasons for her continued service.[6]
Controversy: Cynthia Saunders was under investigation by the Florida Department of Education Office of Professional Practices for inflating district graduation rates and was cited with sanctions on her certificate.