East County Back to School 2025

Back to School 2025

EAST COUNTY

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BACK TO SCHOOL | JULY 2025

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We Take Your Child’s Vision Seriously

Vinnie Portell

Myakka City Elementary students Xavier Freeman and Maclin Seguin play instruments while music teacher Kate Cline led the class through a reading of Digger and the Duckling during a special event.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Signs of Vision Problems in Children: · Drifting of an eye · Crossing of an eye •Drifting of an eye · Squinting blinking •Drifting ofor an eye •Crossing of an eye · Sitting close toeye the television •Crossing of an •Squinting or blinking · Tilting or turning of the head •Squinting or blinking

04 Meet your education reporter 06 Message from the Manatee schools superintendent

•Sitting close to the television •Sitting close to the of television •Tilting or turning the head •Tilting or turning of the head

· Droopy eyelid · Excessive tearing •Droopy eyelid · •Droopy Headaches while reading eyelid •Excessive tearing · •Excessive Closing or covering an eye tearing •Headaches while reading · •Headaches Drop in school performance while reading

•Closing or covering an eye •Closing or covering an eye •Drop in school performance •Drop in school performance

Scott Silverman, M.D.,

08 Lake Manatee K-8 in the works

Pediatric Ophthalmologist

Dr. Silverman and his Dr. Silverman and his friendly staff work hard Dr. Silverman and everyone at friendly staff work to make routine hard eye Coastal Eye Institute, make routine to exams make seem routine likeeye fun, eye exams seem like fun, with a exams fun, with aseem caringlike approach caring approach that makes with a that caring approach makes kids that comfortable. makes kids children comfortable. comfortable.

12 Progress report: How are electric buses faring?

14 Technical programs offer new skills 18 Construction update

24 Important dates

Liz Ramos

Kindergartners Mila Park and Eliana Fitzmorris give it their all in every song.

26 How does hurrican season impact schools?

28 Message from Sarasota schools superintendent 31 Fashion trends 32 Girls sports on the rise

We are following CDC guidelines for your safety.

Schedule an appointment today!

ON THE COVER: Layla Vaughn and Aureliano Mora are student council members at McNeal Elementary that acted as announcers for the leadership day event. Photo by Madison Bier.

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20 Meet your school board member, Richard Tatem

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BACK TO SCHOOL | JULY 2025

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR SCHOOLS REPORTER MADISON BIERL This year will be a transformative one for the School District of Manatee County.

The rezoning process is currently underway and set to begin in the 2026-2027 school year. Lake Manatee K-8 will be open, welcoming students to assist in the overcrowding at B. D. Gullett Elementary and Dr. Mona Jain Middle School.

The school board will also determine whether a new high school will be built in Lakewood Ranch for $139 million.

The biggest and probably most important decision will be hiring a new superintendent. Many perspectives have been discussed, both by school district leaders as well as members of the public.

During Jason Wysong’s time leading Manatee schools, graduation rates and test scores improved. The school board cited concern over communication skills and not having the sort of relationship necessary to effectively allow

them to do their jobs.

Everyone will be watching as the board hires a new superintendent whom they feel can work efficiently and effectively for the students.

Education is personal, whether in a town of 3,000 or a district of more than 50,000 students. Schools are where futures are built and communities take root and blossom.

The stakes are always high.

Some of the highlights of my time covering the district so far are the connections I have made. Many of the students I’ve interviewed recognize me, staff at the school board meetings are eager to acknowledge me and ask me how I am.

I bring my small-town lens with me to every school board meeting and classroom visit.

It reminds me to listen closely, ask the needed questions and look for the voices that don’t always make it into the spotlight. It helps me get to the heart of what matters.

As I continue covering education in East County, I hope to keep learning and expanding my skills, just like the students and educators I’m lucky enough to write about.

I am always open to story ideas, especially from those who are within the schools and the district, and who experience the atmosphere firsthand. If you hear about someone or something that would make a good story, please do not hesitate to contact me. You can reach me at mbierl@yourobserver.com.

Whether you’re reading this from a kitchen table in Bradenton, a classroom in Lakewood Ranch, or anywhere in between, thank you. Your stories matter, and I’m honored to help tell them.

MADISON BIERL EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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W

hen I tell people I grew up in the small town of Clarion, Iowa, I sometimes get a smile or a puzzled pause.

“How small?” they ask.

My town had a population of approximately 3,000 people, and the closest Walmart was 45 minutes away.

My school (Clarion-Goldfield-Dows High) drew from three small towns and I graduated with 70 students in my senior class.

Everyone knew everyone.

There was comfort in the familiarity, but also limits in resources and exposure.

I never had access to most of the programs offered here in the School District of Manatee County, like the Technology Student Association, Robotics, Health Occupations Students of America and more.

My school did have Future Farmers of America.

I didn’t fully grasp how different public education could look in Manatee County.

Now I’m reporting on the School District of Manatee County on a scope I’ve never experienced. Covering it means keeping my eyes and ears open at all times, visiting schools for fun events, sitting through lengthy school board meetings and more. I am regularly talking to teachers, parents and students from a variety of backgrounds to report the important happenings in East County.

JULY 2025 | BACK TO SCHOOL

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BACK TO SCHOOL | JULY 2025

A MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT KEVIN CHAPMAN

T

wo new schools opening, security precautions expanding, and student achievement rising are reasons to be excited about the opening of the 2025-2026 school year in the School District of Manatee County.

The first day of school is Aug. 11, and on that day Harvey K-8 at Copperstone in Parrish, and Lake Manatee K-8 in Lakewood Ranch, will welcome students through their doors and into

classrooms for their very first day. Both schools offer families unique options for their children’s primary and middle school years, which is an imaginative option during this time of expanding school choice.

Safety and security are always our first priority, so starting Aug. 11, all Manatee district middle and high school students will be screened daily with highly sophisticated weapons detections systems upon entering their campuses. The systems are fast and seamless, like those used at major sporting events and concerts.

Feedback on the screenings has been so positive the school board chose to extend that added layer of security to all district secondary schools, thanks in large part to the millage referendum funding passed by Manatee County voters in November 2024.

While I am writing this

article prior to the release of 2024-2025 state testing results, it’s important to know that Manatee district schools have established a consistent pattern of improvement in state testing during the last decade. Results from the 2023-2024 school year are a good example of the improving scores.

Twenty district schools earned A grades from the state in 2023-2024; and 15 schools earned a higher grade than the previous school year. In addition, three district Title 1 schools made historical gains as Abel Elementary earned an A for the first time since 2011, Ballard Elementary jumped from a D to B, and Tillman Elementary received its first A grade in school history.

Parrish Community High, Manatee County’s youngest high school, also earned its first A grade.

That same year, the district’s graduation rate rose by

3.4 percentage points, moving from 82.3% to 85.7%. Preliminary results for the 2024-2025 state testing look promising and we expect the trend to continue.

Speaking of trends, continued development and population growth in the eastern and northern portions of our county continue to impact our schools in those areas. Two new elementary schools — one in Artisan Lakes and the other at Rye Ranch — are scheduled to open their doors for the 2026-2027 school year.

With ongoing renovation of existing schools also taking place, more than $600 million in district construction projects are currently in progress, which is a great example of your tax dollars at work.

To accommodate the growth in our schools, our district is currently engaged in an extensive rezoning process.

Ten community meetings have been held (five in May, five

in June) to inform the public and to gather input into the rezoning process. The opportunity for input will continue through Friday, Aug. 15.

For information, visit ManateeSchools.net/rezoningprocess.

Finally, on behalf of our students and employees, I want to personally thank the citizens of Manatee County for your unwavering support of our public schools. The full force of your support was perhaps never more apparent than Nov. 4, 2024, when 83% of county voters approved the renewal of the additional mill.

We are proud to be an important part of this beautiful and dynamic community.

We are the School District of Manatee County — a tradition of excellence!

KEVIN CHAPMAN INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT OF MANATEE COUNTY

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BACK TO SCHOOL | JULY 2025

A new beginning Administrators, teachers and students are all beginning their voyage at Lake Manatee K-8.

MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER

T

odd Richardson, the principal of the new Lake Manatee K-8 school in Lakewood Ranch, has never been much of a “desk guy,” so he can’t wait for students to arrive Aug. 11 when the 202526 school year opens.

Richardson has spent plenty of 8-to-5 days in the office, planning for the new school, which will be the first K-8 school in the district. Richardson, who has 29 years of experience in the district, was chosen for the honor.

“It will be exciting to get back into a school, high-fiving kids, problem solving with teachers, and all that sort of thing,” Rich-

ardson said.

He sees his role as a unique opportunity to challenge himself as a leader, and one that will stretch his abilities.

“I just threw my hat in the ring and was lucky enough to be picked,” Richardson said. “This is what I consider a once-ina-lifetime opportunity. Brand new schools do not come along as often as we would like or need.”

Richardson’s leadership team includes Assistant Principal Katie Killian, Student Support Specialist Melissa Dowling, Kindergarten Team Lead Kelley Jomisko and Fourth Grade Team Leader Xiomara Cappiello.

Lake Manatee does not currently have a zone and the dis-

Principal Todd Richardson will lead Lake Manatee K-8 and is eager to get the school year started Aug. 11.

Madison Bierl

trict is enrolling students who live within two square miles of the campus. The new school should relieve overcrowding at B.D. Gullett Elementary School and Dr. Mona Jain Middle School in Lakewood Ranch.

The neighborhoods are mostly south of State Road 64 between Lorraine Road and Bourneside Boulevard, and no

further south than Rangeland Parkway.

Between January and May, the district has enrolled more than 500 students in the new school. Three hundred of those students are coming from Gullett Elementary.

Although teacher shortages have been a common issue nationwide, Richardson said

he hired all the new school’s teachers quickly. He believes many of the applicants were excited about working at a new school. Fifteen Gullett Elementary teachers transferred to the new school. In May, Richardson had 52 employees hired.

Richardson said some of the new teachers had recently moved to the area, so Lake Manatee K-8 not only will have those teachers, but their children as well.

An example is Chelsey Portaleos, who is from Syracuse, New York. She will be teaching kindergarten at Lake Manatee K-8.

She lives in Star Farms with her husband, Shaun, and their four children — 18-year-old Camryn, 13-year-old Rocky, 7-year-old Alexander and 3-year-old Sophia.

Lake Manatee K-8 is in Portaleos’ backyard and she is excited about the possibilities.

“We have been beyond looking forward to the move,” PorSEE LAKE MANATEE, PAGE 10

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LAKE MANATEE, FROM PAGE 8

taleos said. “Knowing that I can walk to work and not have to deal with the traffic on a daily basis feels like a big win for me.”

They had taken Camryn on a college tour at Florida Golf Coast University and on the ride had stumbled upon Star Farms, picking up a flyer for Lake Manatee K-8.

“I reached out and now, I am a very grateful member of the Lake Manatee staff,” Portaleos said.

Portaleos’ two youngest children will attend Lake Manatee K-8. Alexander will be in second grade and Sophia will attend pre-kindergarten. Portaleos said Sophia will try to run the school.

Richardson told his staff members that they need to learn the campus quickly so they can assist the students who have never been in the building.

“There might be some anxiety, so we have to know it inside and out so that we can convey

confidence to our families,” Richardson said. “They can rest assured that when their student gets out of the car in the morning or gets off their bicycle on the sidewalk, that we have control of the situation.”

Richardson stressed that the opening of the new school will be a constant learning experience for everyone involved.

“We’re going to have to adjust and go at it the right way,” he said. “We can’t be frustrated and we have to be invested in everybody’s ability to problem solve. That’s been my biggest motivation piece — flexibility, flexibility, flexibility.”

Jessie Rey Bock will teach kindergarten at Lake Manatee.

She is coming from B. D. Gullet Elementary School.

“Making that impact in a child’s life, especially now having my own kids, I think that’s extremely important, especially during their foundational years,” Bock said. “Learning isn’t just about the academics, it’s looking at a child as a whole.

It’s about building confidence, a love for learning, not just with

Madison Bierl

Lake Manatee K-8 is the first K-8 school in the School District of Manatee County to be built from the ground up with the purpose of serving elementary and middle school kids.

the academics, but in life itself.”

A.J. Tovell has worked at Freedom Elementary School for the last three years and will be the art teacher at Lake Manatee.

“I’m probably most nervous about the unknown.

New school, new colleagues, and new bosses,” Tovell said.

“I consider it positive nerves though, much like right before a performer goes on stage.”

Richardson and Tovell are

two of the only male staff members along with head custodian Michael Brabrandt.

“I am very comfortable in my own skin and don’t mind it at all,” Tovell said. “The funny thing is that it is so normal that I didn’t even realize I was the only male teacher.”

Richardson said that he wouldn’t be surprised if they get more male applicants when they start hiring for the middle school.

“We just don’t see a lot of guys going into elementary education anymore,” said Richardson.

Rebekah Lane has been the school counselor at Williams Elementary School for nine years and will hold the same position at Lake Manatee.

“I was a little overwhelmed by the size and magnitude of the campus. Walking through it though, it felt safe and familiar,” Lane said.

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More testing needed Cost, ability to serve open areas are areas that need more exploration before the district buys more electric buses.

MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER

J

amie Warrington, director of transportation for the School District of Manatee County, has a love-hate relationship with electric buses.

He supports alternative fuel and the move away from using fossil fuels, but he doesn’t know if electric buses are quite ready for commercial application.

“I was a little anxious when we embarked on (buying electric buses) just because of it being such new technology,” Warrington said. “Despite our few little issues, the drivers that have been driving those vehicles have indicated that they enjoy it.”

The district has four electric buses — two buses with two batteries that can cover an estimated 130 miles and two others that have three batteries and can cover approximately 200 miles before needing to be recharged. The prevalent reason for using electric buses is that they are better for the environment.

“With zero emissions, it’s good for the environment. It’s good for the students, it’s good for the community,” Warrington said. “The bus isn’t making all that noise going through the neighborhoods early in the morning.”

Bradenton resident Ellen Sandels has been a bus driver for the Manatee School Dis-

LEGO

trict for 12 years. Sandels said she has to be more aware when driving electric buses because they are so quiet that people in the vicinity, such as landscape workers and pedestrians, aren’t aware a bus is coming.

Sandels described driving the electric bus as interesting, fun and challenging.

“Initially I was not sure the manufacturer had all the bugs worked out,” Sandals said.

“There were various issues with getting the air conditioning and heat working, accuracy of battery usage, and some frustrations with getting the bus to charge.”

Warrington said the electric buses drive like a regular bus, but the startup process is a little bit different, with more indicator lights for various things that don’t need to be checked on a diesel bus. He said the electric buses have a faster acceleration than a regular bus and com-

Madison Bierl

Jamie Warrington, director of transportation for the School District of Manatee County, says there are pros and cons when considering the effectiveness of electric buses.

pared them to a golf cart in that way. He said a diesel bus takes longer to get going.

Warrington said the electric buses have regenerative breaking, which means every time the breaks are applied, it recharges the battery by recovering kinetic energy and converting it into electrical energy.

Due to that, the electric buses

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are taken into environments, such as Anna Maria Island, where there is less distance between stoplights. He said Myakka City is a not-so-ideal environment for electric buses.

“There’s no opportunity for the bus to generate, or regenerate energy because the stopping isn’t as prevalent out that way,” Warrington said.

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Perhaps the biggest con with electric buses is the cost compared to a diesel bus. He said he can purchase three diesel buses for the price of one electric bus.

The four electric buses each cost $460,000.

The school district has 20 working 60-kilowatt charging stations that were installed

by Florida Power & Light at no cost. They use only four of them currently, one for each of their four buses.

All of the charging stations are located at Matzke Support Center where the buses are located when not on the road.

“They’re 60 kilowatt chargers, so they’re not your average Tesla charger that you would have at home,” Warrington said. “You can’t just plug them into a regular outlet.

They require a lot more electrical current.”

The electric buses are plugged in every time they return to the bus compound.

They can charge fully in three hours with the 60-kilowatt chargers, which is why they chose them over 30-kilowatt

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chargers, which would take four to six hours.

“I needed to make sure that the buses could be utilized both morning and afternoon,” Warrington said.

Between the four buses, the two that have less mileage on one charge have been experiencing issues with the batteries. The buses are under warranty, so the district doesn’t have to pay for those repairs.

“You can go and advertise that a bus will drive 120 miles on a charge, but that’s a strippeddown bus,” Warrington said.

“Once you go and you add your two-way radios and your video camera systems, all of that has to get power from somewhere, so that will deplete the batteries as well.”

Warrington said heat could be a contributing factor on why the batteries on the electric buses have had issues.

“Because the technology is just so new, there’s really not a whole lot of data to support that as of right now,” Warrington said.

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District offers extensive career choice programs Students can either get a head start on a career or can earn college credits.

MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER

T

echnical education programs in the School District of Manatee County are transforming how students learn and prepare for future careers by offering everything from STEM competitions to real workplace experience through partnerships with local businesses and colleges.

Paul Gansemer, executive director of adult, career and technical education, said parents need to check out the School District of Manatee County’s program booklet “Career and Technical Educa-

Madison Bierl

Seventh grade students at Haile Middle School Cooper Gallegos, Connor Willats, Joshua Parker, Sofia Laubacker and Amelia Cendere had the opportunity to compete at the VEX World Championships.”

tion Program Guide.”

It showcases all of the technical education programs and shows what industry certifications students can earn. The programs are divided into two

main subjects — career and technical education and Career and Technology Student Organizations.

“This exploration will allow the students to discover what

their interests are for future education and for their future career,” Gansemer said.

Gansemer said the district has career and technical education articulation agreements with Manatee Technical College and the State College of Florida.

“These agreements cross reference high school courses that were successfully completed at the high school level with college courses that can show credit earned, thus creating a financial savings for the students when attending those institutions,” Gansemer said.

Middle and high school students have the opportunity to tour Manatee Technical College to explore the technical programs offered. There are also summer camps for high school juniors and seniors to job shadow workers in an industry that interests them.

“This allows the students to

be a better hire since they have demonstrated the knowledge and skills which will hopefully gain them a career instead of just a job,” Gansemer said.

There are various technical programs offered in Manatee schools.

Gansemer said a notable program is health science. At R. Dan Nolan Middle School, they have specialized mannequins for students who are interested in becoming nurses and doctors so they can study the human body. “(The mannequins) can show the heart beating, and then they can show the heart and the veins,” Gansemer said.

“They can show the pulmonary system, they can show you the nervous system, and where all the nerves go.”

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PROGRAMS, FROM PAGE 14

ture department is made up of teachers Megan Krueger, Karly Bell and Jon Heavner.

Those instructors said their department prepares students for more than just agriculturespecific careers. The students are instructed on how to do well in job interviews, how to write resumes and how to write cover letters. They are prepared for other opportunities should they choose not to go into agriculture.

“The teachers are always working with the students on how to prepare themselves to go get a job, so they might work on how to speak in interviews, handshakes, of how to make eye contact,” Gansemer said.

“There’s lots of writing, lots of grammar, lots of trying to help the students to be able to present themselves in a positive professional manner.”

At Braden River, there are hands-on opportunities through the animals — cattle and chickens —and greenhous-

CAREER BOOSTS

(Programs offered in the School District of Manatee County differ by school) CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION COURSES Agriculture, Coding, Engineering technology, Family and consumer science, Robotics, TV production, Arts AV technology digital design, Business-entrepreneurship, Animatronics, Business, Health science, Accounting, Agritechnology, Commercial art, Digital photography, Game design, Horticulture, Marketing, Veterinary assisting, On-the-job training, Animal science,

Megan Krueger

Junior Kassidy Callaghan, senior Jayda Robles-Wheeler and senior Jacob Zinkhan are members of the Braden River Future Farmers of America.

es that are there.

“Each year we also have a chapter steer, chapter hog, and chapter beef heifers available for students to care for and show,” Megan Krueger said. “This gives students that would not normally be able to have a livestock project — due to not having a place to keep it — have that opportunity.”

Anthony Vasile is the robot-

ics and coding teacher at Haile Middle School.

“I know with Haile Middle School we have a teacher there that’s doing a great job with robotics and working with the students and helping them as a team,” Gansemer said. “They use the engineering process to where they have to look at what the problem is and have to design something. They have to

build something and then they have to make whatever that is work, to do whatever task is set forth.”

Vasile said the robotics curriculum prepares students for various careers including product engineering for automation and system control engineer-

Early childhood education, International marketing, Technical design; Web design CAREER AND TECHNICAL STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS Florida Family Career and Community Leaders of America, Future Farmers of America, The Technology Student Association, Florida Future Business Leaders of America, Florida Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA

ing. Robotics and coding skills can be applied to non-engineering careers as well such as in the military, manufacturing or the service industry.

“My objective is always to spark an interest in as many students as possible,” Vasile said.

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Construction continues

Lake Manatee K-8 is the biggest and most well-known current project.

Along with the new Lake Manatee K-8, two other projects will increase capacity for students and help with overcrowding.

MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER

W

ith the population continuing to explode in Manatee County, it seems like the construction work by the School District of Manatee County is never done. Three main construction projects are currently progressing in East County schools.

The most prominent is the building of the new Lake Manatee K-8, located at 17210 Academic Ave. in Lakewood Ranch.

The elementary section of the project opens Aug. 11 on the first day of the new school year.

Work crews are putting the finishing touches on the school but should be finished in time

for opening day. The middle school portion of the campus is scheduled to be ready in August 2026.

At Carlos E. Haile Middle School, an HVAC renovation project is underway that includes a 10-classroom addition.

The Haile project is “99% complete” with only a locker room to finish that should be completed in July.

Tara Elementary School is also going through a campus wide renovation that will add four classrooms and replace the plumbing, lighting, floors and more. The sixth and seventh phases of the project will be cafeteria and kitchen upgrades and a final classroom addi-

Architect/Engineer: Long & Associates Substantial completion date: Aug. 1 for final phase of locker room renovations Student stations: The project will increase the school from 788 to 1,253 student stations.

File photo

tion. It will be complete by late November.

Here is a look at projects: LAKE MANATEE K-8 Lake Manatee will have five primary buildings all connected via walkway canopies. It is a 40-acre site with a courtyard at the center. There will be a covered play area and two main parking lots.

Cost of project: $105,609,281 Construction manager: NDC Construction Architect/Engineer: HKS Inc. Substantial completion date: Phase I (elementary school):

Aug. 31 Phase II completion (middle school): Feb. 27, 2026 Student stations: 1,692 CARLOS E. HAILE MIDDLE SCHOOL What: Ten-classroom addition and comprehensive HVAC renovation project Improvements: New HVAC system, windows, doors and insulation system. It will improve campus security and replace the fire alarm system.

Cost of project: $45,204,358 Construction manager: Halfacre Construction Co.

TARA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL What: Campus Wide Renovation and Addition The project: Adds four classrooms, replaces roofing, improves traffic issues; adds fencing, implements administrative/reception security upgrades. Campuswide improvements include new plumbing, LED lighting, windows, doors, carpet, tile flooring and more.

Cost of project: $35,259,423 Construction manager: Creative Contractors Inc. Architect/Engineer: Sweet Sparksman Architecture and Interiors Substantial completion date: 11/2025 Student stations: The project will increase student stations from 700 to 793.

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Hiring superintendent tops District 5 board member’s goals Richard Tatem says increasing vocational opportunities and increasing on-time bus routes are also important goals in 2025-26.

MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER

D

istrict 5 School Board Member Richard Tatem is looking ahead to the 2025-2026 school year with specific goals in mind.

Finding a new district superintendent is right at the top.

The School District of Manatee County is in search of its new leader, and Tatem said he is looking for someone with good administrative, managerial and interpersonal relationship skills.

“I would rather have somebody who’s a little light on the school system experience, kind of like (Interim Superintendent Kevin Chapman),” Tatem

RICHARD TATEM

said. “If that person had a lot of experience leading organizations and had good people skills, I would take that person over someone who was kind of a more of a technical expert.”

While the superintendent search is a hot topic, Tatem said one thing he is looking forward to — that might not be on everyone’s radar — is an increase in vocational educational opportunities.

“I think there’s too much emphasis on students going to college and universities,” Tatem said. “(A focus should be on) the jobs that are available right now and probably will be available for the foreseeable future ... a lot of them are in the trades.”

Appointed: November 2024 Term Ends: November 2026 Email: tatemr@ manateeschools.net Cell Phone: 719-4333286

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Richard Tatem says he would like the school district to offer more vocational opportunities for students.

He said there shouldn’t be a stigma attached to what profession a student might want to pursue. He said it shouldn’t make a difference whether a

student wants to attend an Ivy League school such as Harvard or train to become a plumber.

In another area of focus, Tatem said he wants to make

sure the district continues to concentrate on improving school bus times and graduation rates. He said the district has been making progress, and he wanted to see that progress continue.

“Bus performance has been getting better,” Tatem said.

“When kids don’t get to school on time, it hurts their education.” He said will look into SEE TATEM, PAGE 22

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TATEM, FROM PAGE 20

expanding opportunities for alternate schooling and scheduling that he believes will help graduation rates.

Tatem said the longer he is on the school board, the more apparent the importance of parent involvement in students’ education has become.

“They have to engage to some degree,” Tatem said of parents.

“It comes down to a structure in the (student’s) life. Your brain wants a schedule. Your brain needs a schedule. Otherwise it’s in this constant state of anxiety.”

Tatem said things such as making sure a student sticks to a certain bedtime routine could do wonders for the success of that student.

He is also looking forward to the increased security measures that will come with implementing the Evolv machines in middle schools as well as seeing the extra training completed that is essential to implementing the system.

THE FIVE STEPS

Richard Tatem’s five steps before voting on issues: 1. Is it constitutional?

2. Is it legal?

3. Is it immoral or unethical?

4. Is it dumb, stupid or dangerous?

5. Is it fiscally responsible?

Student safety and security has been an issue in the district as of late as alleged reports of inappropriate behavior by teachers have led to a resignation and an arrest. Former fifth grade teacher Jarrett Williams, who taught at B. D. Gullett Elementary, was accused of an alleged grooming letter to a student which led to Williams’ resignation. At Carlos E. Haile Middle School, teacher Oliver Fell was arrested by Manatee County deputies and charged with lewd conduct against a student by an authority figure

and transmission of harmful material to a minor. Fell was fired by the district.

Tatem said district teachers will be receiving extra training on the code of ethics that is demanded from those in the profession.

“I understand the public’s frustration, like why aren’t you catching these people?” Tatem said. “I don’t walk around looking for child predators all day — but what we can do about that is increase our training and increase our awareness.”

Whatever the public’s concerns are with the district, Tatem said he hopes those concerns are brought to him, eventually, with an in-person discussion. He prefers to talk face-to-face with people.

“I like having conversations with people instead of emails,” Tatem said. “I like to hear, ‘I’m having a problem with my school,’ “OK, let’s have a conversation about it. Give me the short overview [via email] but then let’s chat.”

“Not woke and not broke” is

a phrase that Tatem uses often.

“Not broke means that we are being good stewards of the taxpayers money, and that we are living within our means,” Tatem said.

Tatem also said wants to look at people based on merit and content of character no matter their gender, race or ethnicity.

“It’s ensuring that we as representatives of the state of Florida, a government organization, a school board, are truly not discriminating,” Tatem said. “We are looking at people based on merit and content of character, and there are no policies, procedures or preferential treatment given to people based on immutable characteristics.”

He has a five-step process for getting his job done.

For the first two steps, he asks himself if the matter in front of him is constitutional and legal.

The third question has to do with morals and ethics.

“Something could be legal but it might be, in my mind, immoral or unethical,” Tatem said. “So even if something

might be legal, if I thought it was immoral and unethical, I wouldn’t vote for it.”

The fourth question he asks determines whether a decision is “dumb, stupid or dangerous.”

Tatem gave an example by talking about the number of guardians — the security guards who provide campus surveillance and monitor any potential threats — that can be used in each school. He said the law says schools only need to have one guardian.

“We have two or three based on the student population, but it would be constitutional to only have one,” Tatem said. “I wouldn’t say it’s immoral or unethical to have only one, but I think it would be dumb or dangerous to only have one guardian [in bigger schools].”

The final question he asks himself is whether the matter he is considering is fiscally responsible, or what sort of impact it might have on the budget.

“If something meets all five of those criteria, then I’ll probably vote for it,” Tatem said.

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SCHOOL YEAR AT A GLANCE 2025-2026 Manatee County Schools key dates

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DECEMBER 2025 14-22 Hanukkah 15-19 MS/HS Exams (tentative) 17-19 High school early release 19 End of first semester 22-31 All district sites closed

MARCH 2026 13 Elementary early release 12 End of quarter 3 16-20 Spring break — All schools closed 23 Record day — No school for students APRIL 2026 1-9 Passover 2 Elementary early release 3 Good Friday — All district sites closed 22 Elementary early release MAY 2026 21-28 MS/HS Exams (tentative) 25 Memorial Day— All district sites closed 26-28 Early release all schools 28 Last day students — End second semester 29 Record day/last day for teachers

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Sheltering from the storm In the midst of a severe storm, no one is turned away from the Manatee County schools that serve as shelters.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

P

aul Damico, chief safety and security officer for the Manatee County School District, said no one will get turned away from a hurricane shelter in the middle of a storm.

“If they show up soaking wet with their dog, you have to accept the dog,” he said. “We feel for people, so we’ll put them in a classroom with their dog.”

That being said, Damico admitted that someone did get

turned away once.

Years ago, someone tried to bring their pet alligator to the shelter. But in that case, it was prior to the storm and Damico told them to take the alligator away.

Outside of the people and pets that show up to the shelters, the operations are standardized. Unless it’s a special needs shelter, Damico can open a shelter in under two hours.

The school district works hand-in-hand with the Manatee County Emergency Operations Center. The EOC makes the decision as to which shel-

File photo

Daniel Bradshaw, the principal of Parrish Community High School, and Carol Ricks, the principal of Myakka City Elementary School, man the registration desk at Myakka City Elementary as it serves as a shelter during Hurricane Milton.

ters should open and when. The school district takes it from there.

The same 27 schools are oncall each year. Staffing starts with school district employees, and then county employees

supplement as needed.

Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputies are also on hand to keep the peace and make sure everyone feels safe.

Alcohol, illegal drugs and weapons are prohibited in

county shelters.

Anything else residents bring with them, including children and pets, are their own responsibility.

One thing evacuees don’t have to worry about is cooking.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are on the house and served warm daily.

R. Dan Nolan Middle School is the only special needs shelter in Manatee County.

The middle school is equipped to serve individuals who are dependent on oxygen and electricity for survival. It also serves those with Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia.

However, residents must fill out an application, and it must be approved by the Manatee County Department of Health.

A special needs shelter is not a hospital, so it might not be equipped to handle every condition. Individuals have to bring their own medication, supplies and bedding and be able to sleep on a cot or a floor mattress.

Anyone who will need assistance has to sign up with Man-

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FISCAL YEAR 202425 Rachel Sellers, deputy superintendent of Business Services for School District of Manatee County, said the district spent $2,465,105 of its budgeted $2,990,154 for hurricane costs during FY2024-25. Those funds come out of the general fund.

27

in the special needs shelter.

Hurricane Milton saw a more even ratio with 118 special needs residents choosing to evacuate to the school.

The Department of Health sets up a diesel generator. However, the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved a permanent generator for the middle school in February that will cost more than $4 million including the permanent generator, the cement pad, the fencing, an enclosure, a diesel tank and electrical connections.

FEMA will cover approximately $3.04 million, and the Hurricane Ian Hazard Mitigation Grant Program will cover the remaining 25%.

Just as important as providing shelter for those in need is the cleanup process. Once the emergency ends, the cleaning begins.

Damico equated the cleanup to “the COVID days.” A germicide is used, and everything is thoroughly cleaned before students return to school.

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atee County’s Special Needs Registry ahead of any pending storm. Transportation to the shelter is also available.

A new application needs to be filled out each year, so the county recommends applying early in the year and well before hurricane season starts June 1. Applications can be found online at MyManatee.org.

The Department of Health sets up the special needs shelter at Nolan a day in advance and staffs it with doctors and nurses. With about 100 staff members, Damico said there’s often more staff than residents

JULY 2025 | BACK TO SCHOOL

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A MESSAGE FROM THE SARASOTA SUPERINTENDENT TERRY CONNOR

G

reetings Sarasota County community members, I would like to start by offering my sincerest thanks to all of our students, families, teachers, and staff members for their hard work and dedication this past school year. Additionally, I would like to extend a special thank you to our volunteers, community partners, and business partners who continue to serve our school communities. Though classes

began amidst a busy storm season, we ended the academic year in a place of stability and success. This would not have been possible without all stakeholders banding together to support each other, most importantly our students.

Our traditional public schools help form the foundation of our strong community, and I could not be prouder of the many accomplishments and milestones our school communities achieved this past year. Our academic team has been hard at work poring over assessment insights to ensure that our instructional team members are dialing in on key points and strategies that continue to propel our students forward.

In January, Sarasota County Schools learned our graduation rate for the 2023-2024 academic year was 92.5%.

This is the highest graduation rate in our school district’s history — excluding the

2019-2020 graduation rate, when the Florida Department of Education waived the assessment requirements for graduation because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2023-2024 results directly correlate to the seemingly indefatigable care, skill, and effort put forth by our teachers. We likely will not know our 2024-2025 graduation rate until next spring, but I am optimistic that our students will continue to excel.

As interest in our community has steadily increased year over year, we have seen more families moving to the county.

The area’s natural amenities and arts and cultural highlights are certainly a huge selling point, but the most compelling factor for a family to relocate is the community’s educational offerings. Sarasota County Schools is excited to be adding a new public school to its award-winning family of campuses this fall.

Skye Ranch School, located at 9501 Lorraine Road, will officially open to its first students this August. Though it will eventually serve as a kindergarten through eighth grade campus, Skye Ranch School will initially only be available to incoming kindergarten through rising sixth grade students in the upcoming school year. This stateof-the-art school will offer a robust Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) curriculum with a specialized focus on science, mathematics, and robotics.

The following school year (2026-2027) will see the opening of another brand new, traditional public school: Wellen Park High School. Featuring a modern, three-story 325,000-square-foot academic building, Wellen Park High will also boast a comprehensive athletic complex. A perfect addition to the already active lifestyle within the

master-planned Wellen Park, the school’s athletic amenities will include a synthetic turf football field, a nine-lane running track, multiple courts, and fields for various sports.

Our community will continue to change and grow, but rest assured that Sarasota County Schools will not lose sight of our core vision. We will continue to strive to be the premier education provider that empowers every student to thrive in an ever-changing world through innovation and continuous advancement. We are honored to serve the wonderful children and families of Sarasota County.

I hope that everyone continues to enjoy their summer break. We will see you on Monday, Aug. 11, for the first day of school!

Sincerely,

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All the Accents

Clockwise from left: Oversized water containers remain an essential accessory; From metallic gold to neon, bold sneakers are trending now; Pink and green combos made their way into fashion trends this year with the popularity of the Broadway-inspired movie “Wicked”.

Accessories dominate 2025 back-to-school fashion.

DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER

A

ccessorizing can be the most fun, expressive part of assembling a back-toschool outfit, and the popularity of adding those personal touches is undeniable given the explosive popularity of the “Labubu” trend, oversized hair bows and character-based apparel.

The China-based company Pop Mart started a global craze with the introduction of its furry, monster-faced dolls sold in mystery packs, which people took to modeling on bag straps.

The exploding market also inspired look-alikes from other brands, earning the nickname “Lafufus.”

Incoming Riverview High

School senior Amalia Matthews said Labubus have definitely been popular this year, but so have other accessories, like lip glosses clipped to keychains and purses. She said this lines up with the more simple, fresh makeup looks trending right now.

On the other end of the spectrum, bolder prints, like camo and animal print, are making a resurgence.

“I’ve been seeing the cheetah, leopard and zebra prints everywhere, from bathing suits to dresses to skirts,” she said. “I feel like it’ll still be in fashion this school year.”

One unique trend is the uncommon combination of bubble-gum pink and emerald green, inspired by the release of the Broadway-inspired

movie “Wicked.” The sequel is scheduled for this November, and the color combo is sure to remain on clothes racks.

Bold aesthetics aren’t just accessories, though.

Trending tennis shoes run the gamut from metallic gold to neon on black.

Oversized clip-in hair bows and ribbon-like jewelry are

popping up in stores for fashionistas of all ages.

Teen fashion trends are experimenting with more atypical silhouettes as well, opting for a more cropped but wide style with shirts to go with high-waisted pants.

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Makeup-loving fashionistas can look forward to the opening of a new Sephora store at the Mall at University Town Center.

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ular this year, especially considering how fashion-forward students have been bringing back bold colors and sparkle — almost “tacky cute” — but with a contemporary flair.

Above all else, Matthews encourages students gearing up for a fresh year to “stay cool and stay unique.”

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However, Matthews said parents doing back-to-school shopping shouldn’t get too caught up in chasing particular trends. Rather, they can pick up some popular end-of-summer staples, like linens and halter tops, and layer them with other trendy pieces.

She looks forward to seeing what prom dresses will be pop-

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n the world of high school sports, the phrase ‘Title IX’ has become synonymous with equality for female athletes, but it might surprise some people how drastic of an impact it’s had.

The Florida High School Athletic Association was founded in 1920, and for the next 50-plus years, high school girls had to choose between three sanctioned sports — swimming and diving, tennis, and golf.

High school boys, on the other hand, had nine sports sanctioned before there was a

fourth option added for girls.

Title IX, which prohibits gender-based discrimination in any education program or activity that receives federal funding, was signed into law in 1972 by President Richard Nixon.

It’s no coincidence what followed.

From 1974-82, the FHSAA sanctioned girls volleyball, girls cross country, girls track and field, girls basketball and girls soccer.

The FHSAA and its member schools have been playing catch-up to even the playing field ever since.

Many of the most recent sports to be sanctioned are girls sports, including flag football (2003), girls weightlifting (2004), competitive cheerleading (2008), beach volleyball (2022) and girls wrestling (2022).

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LL O R !

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Vinnie Portell

LAKEWOOD RANCH ON THE FOREFRONT

Students at Lakewood Ranch High have the option to play for nearly every FHSAA-sanctioned sport.

Its most recent offerings include girls wrestling, beach

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Lakewood Ranch’s beach volleyball team won a district championship this spring, its boys and girls lacrosse teams qualified for their respective regional tournaments, and

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SEE SPORTS, PAGE 34

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SPORTS, FROM PAGE 33

the school sent a girl wrestler — Francesca Bisordi — to the state championships for the first time.

“The sports that have been added have done well,” Lakewood Ranch Athletics Director Kent Ringquist said. “Lacrosse is growing here. We only have two schools within our district that offer lacrosse, but we have no problem with the amount of kids who want to participate.”

That doesn’t mean that there haven’t been drawbacks.

Ringquist said that flag football, in particular, has become a more popular sport for girls.

In some cases, that means athletes have had to quit another spring sport in order to join.

That’s started to affect the school’s girls basketball team.

Ringquist said participation in girls basketball has dwindled, likely due to athletes having so many other options.

The only FHSAA-sanctioned sports that the school doesn’t currently offer are water polo

and boys volleyball. However, Ringquist said those will not likely be added because the school does not have its own pool for water polo and court time is too crowded for boys volleyball.

Francesca Bisordi is the first girls wrestler from Lakewood Ranch to advance to the state championships.

BRADEN RIVER ADDS MORE OPPORTUNITIES

Braden River High has recently added girls wrestling, flag football and beach volleyball, giving more avenues for its female athletes to compete in athletics.

The school’s flag football team went 55-9 in its first five seasons and made it to the Class 1A state semifinals in 2024. Though it had its first losing season this spring with a 4-9 record, it’s clear that the program has been a success.

Its beach volleyball team has had a winning season in each of its four years, and won a district championship this past spring.

“I think some of the stuff we consider as ADs are gender equity,” Braden River Athletic Director Matt Nesser said. “In our case, we needed to have

Vinnie Portell

some more female athletes to help our Title IX numbers. And there has to be interest as well.”

There are no lacrosse teams at Braden River, and although Nesser said it’s “an up-andcoming sport,” he said that it would be a challenge to start up a lacrosse program.

ROOM FOR GROWTH AT OUT-OF-DOOR ACADEMY

Out-of-Door Academy has offered boys and girls lacrosse for over 10 years, but hasn’t

added any new sports in the last decade.

As a small school, ODA faces the challenge of providing opportunities while having enough athletes to fill out new teams.

“For a school of our size, we’re strategic about any additions, considering how new sports might impact existing ones during the same season,” ODA Athletic Director Andres Parra said. “That said, when student interest is there and the

timing is right, we are open to exploring new opportunities.”

Parra said that the school would consider adding a new sport, but only if there is enough interest and a plan for long-term sustainability.

“Ensuring balance in opportunities for all students, especially between boys’ and girls’ sports, is a top priority for us,” Parra said.

REACHING EQUALITY

It took decades for girls sports to catch up to boys sports at the high school level, but participation numbers are finally starting to even out.

In the 1971-72 school year — the year Title IX was enacted — the National Federation of State High School Associations reported 3.66 million high school boys athletes in the nation compared to just 294,015 girls.

In the most recent survey conducted from the 2023-24 school year, there were 4.63 million boys participants to 3.42 million girls participants.

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