Parents, charter leaders press Manatee school board to restore share of half-cent sales tax to charters

Several parents, charter school leaders and former district staff urged the Manatee County School Board on March 11 to restore a portion of the half‑cent sales tax revenues to public charter schools, saying the denial of those funds since the 2023–24 school year harms thousands of students.

The speakers said charter schools educate roughly one in five public school students in Manatee County and that the sales tax revenue — which the speakers said brings in about $50–$53 million in a recent year — should be distributed to all public schools.

"Public charter school students are no different than district school students," said Dr. Steve Marshall, principal of Manatee School for the Arts. "The charter successes are also the district successes. This is a fundamental belief that I believe that we all share."

Several speakers gave local counts and examples. Sarah Taylor, a parent at Rowlett Academy, told the board charter schools serve more than 12,300 students countywide, and asked the board to "restore our rightful share of these funds, ensuring that the money follows the child in Manatee County so all students have access to the resources that they need to succeed." Steve Zickavus, who identified himself as having worked in both district and charter schools, said nearly 1,100 community members had signed a petition supporting proportional distribution.

Speakers pressed the board to put an item on an upcoming agenda for a vote. "We respectfully request that the April 8 board meeting include a vote to proportionally share the half‑penny sales tax proceeds with charter schools," Zickavus said during public comment.

Board chair and staff responded with a legal and policy overview. General Counsel explained the district's interpretation of the law and the district's prior practice: the 2016 voter referendum did not require sharing sales tax revenues with charters at the time it passed, the attorney said, and the district previously ran a voluntary block grant for charters that was terminated after charters began receiving millage funding. Counsel said subsequent statutory changes require sharing if the referendum is renewed in the future, but are not retroactive to the current referendum term.

Superintendent Wysong and board members acknowledged public concern and said staff would provide additional detail about the district's actions and the legal background. Chair Dyer recommended transparency about the earlier board vote that changed the district's grant practice and reiterated that past actions had been taken in publicly noticed meetings.

The public comment period on this item concluded without a board vote; several speakers requested the board place a decision on a future agenda so the community and charter operators can plan.

Ending: Board members said they would consider the speakers' requests and, at several points in the meeting, asked staff and counsel to return with additional details and possible next steps to discuss at a workshop or a future board meeting.