Manatee County School Board Notes: 6/9/26

The League of Women Voters of Manatee County Education Issues Action Team observes the School Board of Manatee County meetings for items of interest to citizens and to the League, and notes adherence, or lack of adherence, to good governance procedures and the Sunshine Law. The League also provides feedback to school board members. The following are the major points from the School Board Meeting on June 9, 2026.

The meeting was called to order by Chair Spray at 10:03. Mr. Choate read the district’s vision statement. Gary Crawford, President of Galatians 6:2, Inc., provided the invocation. Superintendent Breslin introduced Dave Daily to provide the veteran-led pledge of allegiance and presented him with a flag.  Ms. Spray alerted the audience that the Board will recess at 11:15 a.m. for a community event and resume at 1:00 p.m.

Recognitions / Student Celebrations
Jamie Carson reintroduced Commander Dave Daily, Post Commander of Braden River Veterans of Foreign War Post 12055. He described the Post which started in 2006 and its membership of 140 combat veterans. He shared the various programs and projects supporting Braden River and Lakewood Ranch High Schools; Haile, Jain and Nolan Middle Schools; and Freedom and Williams Elementary Schools. Members provide flag etiquette classes, veterans talk to students about their military career and experiences, and support of Freedom Elementary’s “Let Freedom Ring” activities. They donate to the JROTC ball and raise the flag at every Braden River High School football game. Over their 20 years, the Post has hosted speech contests giving $19,900 in winnings to participants as well as $74,000 in scholarships to Braden River and Lakewood Ranch High School graduates. Commander Daily expressed gratitude for their continued school partnerships and their emphasis on “patriotism and importance of veterans and love for this amazing country.”

Public Comments - None

Reports and Presentations

2025-2026 End of Year Data Review

Mr. Jensen provided preliminary results for end of year PM3 testing for each of the grade levels. He described all the factors that go into school and district grades. He credited the emphasis on early learning that is paying off in improved third grade results. Several board members expressed their support of early learning efforts and congratulated themselves and past boards for setting the stage for the success. The graph that plots data over the years shows all grade levels trending upward. Ms. Felton pointed out the growth that has occurred even after the 2020 pandemic disruption and the ever-changing bar set by the state. Manatee District garnered its highest third grade achievement this year. Mr. Jensen reminded everyone that accelerated pathways for many students affect the upper grades’ scores. He credited more hands-on learning resources for improvements in science results. History scores are trending upward as well. Looking at a projection of school grades with a margin of error for some incomplete data, it is expected that Samoset Elementary will move from a D to an A; Miller and Myakka Elementaries from a C to an A, with 23 A-rated schools compared to last year’s 18, and with no D or F-rated schools. Ms. Felton shared her personal experience as a teacher and the amount of work for the students and teachers it took to accomplish this feat.

Children's Service Advisory Board (CSAB) Presentation

Ms. Felton, who represents the School Board on the Manatee County Children’s Service Advisory Board, provided a brief report. She shared with Board Members the recommendations being made for funding to the Board of County Commissioners (BoCC). She reminded Board Members of the impact these funded programs have on the students in the Manatee School District. The rationale for those organizations not recommended is included in their report to the BoCC. The final decisions will be made by the Commissioners. Ms. Felton described the funds come from dedicated millage within the property taxes and will be negatively impacted by any cuts in property taxes.

Consent Items – Thirty-three items were approved 5-0.

New Business: (Non-Consent Items)

Approval of the Budget Amendments for April 2026 (No Financial Impact)
After an explanation by Deputy Superintendent Sellers, approved 5-0.

New Business (No Superintendent Recommendation)

Approval to Extend Ginger Mentzer’s Term as a Member of the Citizen Financial Audit Committee for Three (3) Years (No Financial Impact). Mr. Kennedy spoke to Ms. Mentzer’s commitment to continue serving as she is able. Approved 5-0.

Approval to Extend Susan Harrigan’s Term as a Member of the Citizen Financial Audit Committee for three (3) years (No Financial Impact). Approved 5-0.

Approval of Travel Expense Associated with the School Board Members’ and Superintendent Breslin’s Attendance at the FSBA-FADSS Annual Joint conference, at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay, FL June 10-12, 2026 Not to Exceed $3,500 (General Fund). Approved 5-0. 

Information Only:

Year-to-Date Financial Statements Through April 30, 2026 (No Financial Impact)

Year-to-Date Charter School Financial Statement Summary Through April 30, 2026
Second Amendment to Bradenton Bay High School Charter School Program (CSP) Grant

Approval to Apply for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) Grant Proposal in the Amount of $499,999.84 for Florida High School for Accelerated Learning (aka, Bradenton Bay High School) (Incoming Federal Grant Funds)

Updates

Instruction – Mr. Jensen indicated his comments were captured in the earlier presentation.

Meeting adjourned at 11:14 a.m.

GOOD GOVERNANCE

With the cooperation of fellow Board Members, Chair Spray ran an efficient meeting that resulted in completing the meeting without having to take a recess and then return later in the day.

Mr. Kennedy recognized the efforts of prior boards and district leadership that has resulted in the improved assessment results. His remarks emphasize that steady upward changes in achievement are the result of many years of sustained effort, and not just the focus of the current board members. However, without their continued focus and support, the efforts would not be as productive. Staying the course for the long haul is to be congratulated.

Congratulations to faculty and staff on earning such remarkable gains. Perhaps improved reading also impacted achievements in the other subjects, as well as relevant hands-on learning activities. 

LWV finds it difficult to share relevant slide presentations when the links in the agenda packet expire. This limits the public’s ability to access the important information in the presentations. We wonder if there is a feature in the software that has created this issue and we request a resolution.