Manatee School Board adopts tentative 2025-26 millage and $1.72 billion budget; outlines $155M COP plan

MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — The Manatee County School Board on July 29 voted 5-0 to adopt a tentative total millage rate of 6.304 mills and to approve a tentative fiscal year 2025–26 budget of $1,720,829,581.

The votes covered the four millage components presented by district staff: the required local effort (RLE) of 3.056 mills; a discretionary operating rate of 0.748 mills; an additional (voted) operating rate of 1.000 mill; and a local capital outlay rate of 1.500 mills. The board approved each component separately before adopting a resolution that sets the total tentative millage at 6.304 mills and the tentative budget for the coming year.

Why it matters: the tentative actions allow the district to continue operating while staff finalizes numbers for the final budget hearing, which is set for Sept. 9. The district must follow state TRIM notice requirements and submit certified property values to the county tax collector before a final millage and budget are adopted.

Budget and tax details

District staff said the Florida Department of Education adjusted the district's required local effort on July 19, producing a small prior-period adjustment to the RLE that raised it to 3.056 mills. Budget Director Gina Maliniak and other presenters explained the district builds the tentative budget assuming 96 percent tax collections (a conservative assumption that accounts for early-payment discounts and delinquencies), and that the rollback rate for 2025–26 is higher than the proposed total millage — meaning the district must advertise a budget hearing rather than a notice of tax increase.

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