[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_25":26},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_27":28,"_29":30},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[31,75,87,99],{"_32":33,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":39,"_40":41,"_42":43,"_44":45,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6488690,"mediaKeyId","5692007-7256595020882a78757fc76c5a22a361","parentId",5692007,"title","Votes at a glance: School Board of Manatee County, Aug. 26, 2025","audioSeconds",656,"startMs",6563000,"endMs",7219000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5692007-7256595020882a78757fc76c5a22a361&start=6563&end=7219","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5692007-7256595020882a78757fc76c5a22a361/thumbnail_6563000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6488690/Florida/Votes-at-a-glance-School-Board-of-Manatee-County-Aug-26-2025","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6488690-b874c4891bfc3de50af583702824a59a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770054172&Signature=nD41kZ1kLXIw2-x~Z-fpueGJ-M6u0-pNg6D7weIl3RSgwkdPjPqptEIseoB6OSXHQpz97enRoRJBVm2HPOi-XhEMITP7Pj7c4lqqWolByPyk7KuLPlSn3igBGO1JGuAC6aY5XnroGXaF12Ocs8Yuds2O4Ci~kUv0mZMmSxPDIGh28V2PqOxP4ptfl0k6Gkh5V0shjgztxzLCYEOgBicYFCT97~E0~u9rPKoomc2aZ4JPvH00gtOzEyo~bsEAzNwOacscCzOVZa9f~DcFI9ZDuCKoUmj7Sw00IJe67-vDdtyE97Eyt7wIcSTEs3Hh8OhCcwfOgUohRKvzgrlnUH7Eig__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","School District of Manatee County","date","2025-08-27T13:06:30Z","article","Here are the formal actions the School Board of Manatee County recorded at its Aug. 26 regular meeting.

- Offer superintendent position to Dr. Lori Breslin; authorize contract negotiations led by board chair and district attorney. Motion by Miss Bray; second by Miss Felton. Vote: 5‑0, motion passed.

- Approval of consent agenda (routine procurement, personnel, contracts listed on consent): motion and second on the floor; vote 5‑0, passed.

- Approval (new high‑school AAA agreement, Amendment 1) between owner and Shankle Schultz, Inc., amount $1,176,648. Motion moved and seconded; vote 4‑1 (Mister Tatum voted no). Board discussion raised concerns about cost‑per‑student‑station and statewide cost limits effective July 2028.

- Approval (new high‑school AAA agreement) between owner and Gilbane Building Company, amount $522,340. Motion moved and seconded; vote 4‑1 (Mister Tatum voted no).

Other procedural votes included agenda approval (5‑0) and minutes approval from the July 29 meetings (5‑0). The board recessed briefly after the superintendent vote and returned for recognitions and presentations.

Why this matters: the construction agreements are part of a multi‑school building program. Several board members voiced concern about construction costs and the district\u0000need to plan for a July 2028 state cost cap on per‑student station spending.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","School Board Meeting August 26, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Summary of formal board votes taken Aug. 26, including the appointment of Dr. Lori Breslin as superintendent (5‑0) and approvals of two high‑school construction agreements that passed 4‑1.","taxTitle","Manatee, School Districts, Florida","taxId",13113,"location","Florida","headline","","shortSummary",{"_32":76,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":77,"_40":78,"_42":79,"_44":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6488696,"School district honors back‑to‑school partnership and CTSO national champions",277,621000,898000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5692007-7256595020882a78757fc76c5a22a361&start=621&end=898","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5692007-7256595020882a78757fc76c5a22a361/thumbnail_621000.jpg","/articles/6488696/Florida/School-district-honors-backtoschool-partnership-and-CTSO-national-champions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6488696-a79102c96a4804dcf3b1e8dd7b28bd4f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770054172&Signature=UzNQ2da7hAkeNmAMEFnoO-T6O5G2sIXtr4nWoA2N32xyfdSN5h1~U4cOaJMnd9jWd~gXrGCKY-IQ39-WVdnonMnFVcUEqFLo6qqsxc3gDZZPbqG5ZXwrOKlM5x5k5pKh8DqL37b54q5UiwBaUXkSj47GboeWWnB9cZRb3prW~b6gSaNITlyK-dBjY9II4Syop55niZgVG7Dxh1AJYPARkIHKlgWhaKxlo2KeTdEx1xTRMPL2qgz5dY4FB36V70cAPl9BXkMscGty7Sozar6CYzAkEZFp7lFsL42PLbrHF2WGzqOFU1qN69G1JNYtzmrlKVBwf8tJFsjGOxCtAEFpAw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At its Aug. 26 meeting the School Board of Manatee County recognized a district partnership with the Bradenton Marauders and honored students and advisers who placed in national career and technical student organization competitions.

Jamie Person, the district\u0000director of communications, told the board the district and the Bradenton Marauders teamed on a back‑to‑school event at the ballpark on Aug. 2. Person said the partnership distributed nearly 1,000 backpacks, hosted more than 30 community agency tables and offered additional tickets to families during the first week of school.

\"We're stepping up to the plate to recognize a partnership that really knocked it out of the park this year,\" Person said.

Bradenton Marauders management joined the board meeting; Craig, the Marauders general manager, thanked district staff and presented a plaque to Superintendent Chapman.

The board also recognized Career and Technical Student Organization teams for national titles and top finishes. Dr. Paul Gansimir, executive director of adult career and technical education, and Dr. Jody Kirk of Manatee Technical College presented teams and students who placed at national competitions:

- Braden River Middle School TSA: first place in mathematical modeling (students listed in meeting remarks).
- Braden River High School TSA: first place in biotechnology design, first place in engineering design and a national individual champion in promotional design (names read at the meeting).
- Electa Lee Middle School TSA: first place in problem solving.

Manatee Technical College students also reported top national finishes at SkillsUSA and HOSA events, including second place in video news production, third place in occupational health and safety, and multiple top‑10 placements. The district said, overall at TSA nationals, Manatee County students recorded five first‑place finishes and a strong top‑10 showing across events.

The recognitions covered dozens of students, teachers and advisers; district presenters said some national‑level competitors were not present because they had already graduated or were away at college.

Why this matters: the recognitions highlight district extracurricular achievements and partnerships with local organizations that support students and families at the start of the school year.","Manatee County recognized a partnership with the Bradenton Marauders and numerous Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) national champions, and Manatee Technical College reported multiple top finishes at SkillsUSA and HOSA events.",{"_32":88,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":89,"_40":90,"_42":91,"_44":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6488701,"Manatee County reports drop in third-grade retentions after summer reading camp and FAST summer testing",2242,4152000,6394000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5692007-7256595020882a78757fc76c5a22a361&start=4152&end=6394","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5692007-7256595020882a78757fc76c5a22a361/thumbnail_4152000.jpg","/articles/6488701/Florida/Manatee-County-reports-drop-in-third-grade-retentions-after-summer-reading-camp-and-FAST-summer-testing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6488701-29d95e462072c90863d1b021e508854f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770054172&Signature=C9ct6HcX64Rvk-uXNwYaiHkqHE0w7Pt7mzh347E5BB0pJy1sPIQH76YScVJ59huavsNXQNPLdrvQh7tSpZlWVyVkp3jrGWTeJpnNbQh4BfRuPI4gspZ-WXabaviXEPtIRPi~6fVEdVX1CFTmmCikJGNf5YY-lJ-Nw3nY8hmy~ZQKpkN3kXvsll~QmcuRWLnWl3oUDTlPIkk5Elxkuo8mNCmhgLauf-dpmE6Hk-adTU9VVGfd1KcmgNhYt31i7NvnPZ7uNvSkrzTfB5Lx3EFv4PtqJo4vFXCjAJCRiVGnlBx~igt3x0dj~3OEqDU664kUxE18dz9jUe6DvXnidnMylQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The School District of Manatee County reported on Aug. 26 that summer reading programs and a summer administration of the FAST reading assessment reduced the district\u0000third‑grade retention rate to roughly 385 students, about 11% of third graders, down from approximately 16% at the end of the school year.

District elementary ELA leaders told the school board that the key change this summer was administering FAST (Florida’s progress-monitoring assessment) in July so the district could compare May and summer results on the same test. Allison Nichols, an elementary curriculum specialist who helped lead summer reading camp, said that apples‑to‑apples comparison made the program’s impact visible.

“Now we actually had apples to apples comparison from May at the end of the school year to the same test being taken again at the end of summer,” Nichols said during the board meeting. “With that, we saw great success and were able to reduce our retentions down to about 385.”

Program details: the summer reading camp ran 21 days and provided roughly five hours of daily reading instruction, including two explicit, systematic phonics lessons per day, daily repeated‑reading fluency work, daily writing in response to reading and practice with FAST‑style questions. Teachers assigned to the summer camps were reading‑endorsed or reading‑certified and were recommended by principals, district staff said.

Participation and results: district staff reported that 366 students who were identified for retention attended summer reading camp. Of those attendees, 46% were promoted to fourth grade after summer assessments or alternative good‑cause measures. The district said 33 students met good‑cause promotion via the STAR assessment during the summer, and 140 students met FAST level 2 or higher during the final week of camp.

Funding and administration: district staff said the program is supported by the district reading plan that describes how state reading funds (previously separate categorical funding) will be used; those funds now flow through the district’s base student allocation (BSA) but are carved out and tracked by the district for reading initiatives. District staff said schools also do outreach — letters, phone calls and transportation when needed — to invite families of retained students to attend summer reading camp.

Broader early‑literacy work: the district said it is expanding year‑round supports, including literacy coaches in elementary schools, a k‑2 phonics initiative (UFLI) with daily 30‑minute phonics blocks, targeted tutoring for grades 3–5 through a Florida tutoring vendor and plans for an early literacy summit Oct. 25 that will include a keynote from phonics researcher Wiley Blevins.

Why this matters: Florida law includes strong promotion standards for third grade; lowering retention rates through instruction and assessment is a major objective for district early‑literacy strategy and affects promotion, classroom placement and supports for students entering fourth grade.

District leaders said the summer results will be used to guide instruction and monitoring in the 2025–26 school year.","The district says summer reading camp plus the summer administration of the FAST assessment reduced third-grade retentions to about 385 students (roughly 11%), down from about 16% at the end of the school year. District leaders credited explicit phonics instruction, endorsed teachers and daily FAST‑style practice.",{"_32":100,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":101,"_40":102,"_42":103,"_44":104,"_46":105,"_48":106,"_50":107,"_52":108,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":109,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":110,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6488706,"School Board of Manatee County hires Lori Breslin as next superintendent after monthslong search",2020,1638000,3658000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5692007-7256595020882a78757fc76c5a22a361&start=1638&end=3658","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5692007-7256595020882a78757fc76c5a22a361/thumbnail_1638000.jpg","/articles/6488706/Florida/School-Board-of-Manatee-County-hires-Lori-Breslin-as-next-superintendent-after-monthslong-search","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6488706-67a4d8e2fd43a62a64bd307060bc5ca9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770054172&Signature=nFxLE45~t4d0WT7Gvu6bUsqALFJnzvN-Oa58ECVoWz1U8YoN0FVgHtTTBidHHOJNEn693uIRBBvF2x3ETlWzsABkDuvcuAg~4D4yfBIZNqgAqupQfavUjhfY9HoXJSa5aMaK~QtRMSynKNrSOTsVqZuAmgAnFKRNsxJTSx7jBigyZGUgZm6Qd7zfRfqHXCHLP1VAT3I9vaqbaOjr0ujTh~fHgCEXMyCGbL63TXsr5y5wQ8pt9NIHRFPRs4DTTgHGHRc~IVnSRTsPuvQK8KKdH4COH30HRgavfqoLGmi7XYX0WF7yFY44vMEiLinGx1wLxBncsAPMPhZN3V5vfOj8JQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The School Board of Manatee County on Aug. 26 voted unanimously to offer the position of superintendent to Dr. Lori Breslin and authorized contract negotiations, starting the process to replace outgoing leadership.

The board approved a motion by board member Bray to offer the position to Dr. Lori Breslin and to “authorize contract negotiations to begin and [be] led by our chair and attorney Dye,” a motion seconded by board member Felton and approved 5 to 0.

The vote ends a public search that began in mid-June, produced 15 applicants from 11 states and four semifinalists, and concluded with two finalists who participated in a public meet-and-greet at Manatee Technical College on Aug. 18. Board members said they had received multiple rounds of public input through online surveys and in-person events that were shared with all members before the decision.

Board members thanked the Florida School Boards Association, district staff and community partners for supporting the search process. Several members told the board they had judged both finalists highly but favored Breslin because she is a long-time Manatee County educator and would be positioned to move quickly into the role.

Dr. Breslin addressed board members and the public after the vote. “This is my home. It will forever be my home,” she said, and pledged to “build on our success” and begin work immediately. She also thanked interim Superintendent Kevin Chapman and said she would report for work the following day.

The board took the following formal action: it authorized the board chair and the district’s attorney to begin contract negotiations with Dr. Breslin; the district said it expects a finalized employment contract to be presented to the board for approval in a subsequent meeting.

What happened next: the board recessed briefly to bring Dr. Breslin into the chambers so she could speak to attendees. Board members offered congratulations in the chamber and in brief comments after the vote.

Why it matters: the superintendent will lead the district that serves about 52,000 students and more than 6,000 employees. Board members said continuity, local knowledge and an ability to “hit the ground running” were decisive factors for many members when choosing between two well‑qualified finalists.

Process recap: the school district named Kevin Chapman interim superintendent in May 2025; FSBA served as search consultant; advertisements ran June 16–July 16; 15 applications were received, four semifinalists were announced July 29, two finalists were interviewed by the full board on Aug. 1 and again in 1:1 sessions, and public feedback was collected at multiple points.

The board did not finalize or approve Dr. Breslin’s contract at the Aug. 26 meeting; the motion approved contract negotiations only. The board’s vote on any final employment contract will appear on a future meeting agenda.","The School Board of Manatee County voted 5-0 to offer the superintendent post to Dr. Lori Breslin and authorized the board chair and district attorney to begin contract negotiations following a public search and interviews of two finalists.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: School Board of Manatee County, Aug. 26, 2025

School district honors back‑to‑school partnership and CTSO national champions

Manatee County reports drop in third-grade retentions after summer reading camp and FAST summer testing

School Board of Manatee County hires Lori Breslin as next superintendent after monthslong search