Manatee parents, charter leaders press school board to share half‑cent sales tax with charter schools; district counsel says distribution complies with law

Several charter school leaders and parents urged the Manatee County School Board on April 8 to change how the district distributes countywide half‑cent sales tax revenue, saying charter students and their families pay the same taxes but have received none of the funds in recent years.

The comments came during the meeting’s public‑comment period and were led by Laurie Diamont Abdullah, a Manatee County resident and parent, followed by school leaders and charter board members who said that, because more than 20% of the county’s public students attend charter schools, a proportionate allocation of the tax revenue is fair and consistent with state intent.

Why this matters: Speakers said the half‑cent tax was sold to voters as a countywide investment in public education. They argued that excluding charter students from the distribution leaves many families paying for improvements their schools do not receive and, they said, weakens public…