Frankie Howze Elementary!

The Manatee County School Board will soon name a new K-8 school in east county and is currently soliciting input from citizens. One option stands tall above the rest: "the Mother of Education in Manatee County," Frankie Howze.

In 2020, TBT's Merab Favorite profiled Howze, calling her "the first exceptional educator in the area." I first learned of Howze and her extraordinary contributions to Manatee County through her article. It's a great piece, and I highly recommend reading it.

Howze was a teacher, school principal, librarian, and even Palmetto's first football coach. She came to Palmetto following a fierce Yellow Fever outbreak that left the town badly in need of teachers. Howze upgraded the dilapidated existing school facility with her own money. Bringing what were, at the time, revolutionary teaching methods she had learned from educators in Chicago, Howze vastly improved upon the community's existing educational standards. She established a library society in her first year and became the Carnegie Library's very first librarian.

A widowed mother of four, Howze became principal of Palmetto Academy, the first publicly funded school in Manatee County, which opened in 1895.  She even took summer classes at Colombia University to stay on the cutting edge of educational techniques and later put all her children through college.  Howze's teaching prowess was so well regarded that Good Housekeeping published a feature article about her.

When she retired in 1940, Howze had served Manatee County schools for 67 years. Then, she returned to college to earn yet another degree! By age 82, Howze suffered from blindness but would stay glued to her radio to keep abreast of current events. She died in 1956. Palmetto Elementary was formerly named Frankie A. Howze Elementary. However, that honor was somehow dropped after the school was restored. The one-room schoolhouse she initially taught in is now part of the Palmetto Historical Park.

Manatee County has had a habit of naming schools after recently retired administrators or geographical monikers that often make little sense years down the road (Southeast High?).  But history and heritage are important, particularly when they celebrate the very best of our endeavors. 

Frankie Howze was a giant among educators and deserves to be honored and remembered for the living legacy of her invaluable contribution to public education in our community. Click here to place your vote for the naming of the school.