Votes at a glance: Manatee School Board, Oct. 7, 2025

The School Board of Manatee County recorded the following formal votes on Oct. 7, 2025:

- Consent agenda: Approved, 5-0. (Includes routine items and minutes approvals.)

- District school internal accounts audit report (item 13.2): Approved, 5-0. The auditors (Purpose Grama) issued an unmodified opinion on the school internal accounts for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025.

- Use of Duval County contract for substitute teaching employment services (item 13.3; piggyback contract #0824DB; estimated $5,225,000 annually): Approved, 5-0. The board voted to continue using the vendor contract while staff pursue follow-up work on screening and oversight.

- Travel expense for two board members (Chair Chad Choate and Board Member Spray) associated with attendance at a designation event for Senator Jim Boyd (item 14.1): Approved, 3-2. Voting breakdown: Yes — Choate, Spray, Frey. No — Tatum, Felton. The item drew public comment and debate about whether the event was partisan and whether taxpayer funds should cover travel to the event.

- Revision to the Audit Committee charter (item 15.1): Approved, 5-0. The board amended the charter language to require the citizens financial oversight group to issue an annual report no later than 90 days after the board accepts its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (ACFR).

- Legislative priorities for 2026: Approved as amended, 5-0. The board added clarifications including citation of the tax-collector commission statute and added legislative language addressing school-district property and open-carry/weapon statutes on district-owned property.

Ending: Board members requested follow-up reports on the substitute-contract screening processes, the procurement review being scoped by RSM, and implementation details for the audit committee charter changes.