School Board approves budget amendments, calendar and multiple contracts in 5-0 votes

The School Board of Manatee County on May 20 approved a package of administrative and fiscal items in a series of unanimous 5–0 votes, including March budget amendments, revisions to several instructional job descriptions, the 2026–27 academic calendar, a small increase in student and adult meal prices, and contracts for cybersecurity testing and internal auditing.

The board’s actions began with routine approvals: the agenda and minutes were adopted by roll call early in the meeting. The School Board Leasing Corporation, a nonprofit whose membership is the board, approved a permanent utilities easement for Blackburn Elementary School before the board returned to regular session and moved the consent agenda.

The board approved 672 budget amendments for March 2025 affecting more than 2,900 chart strings, including adjustments to general-fund revenues (state discretionary programs and voted millage), reductions to charter school proportionate share, and reclassifications within capital projects and certificates of participation. Director of Finance explained several transfers and program reclassifications tied to capital projects and…