Board approves financing, contracts and personnel agreements in 5—0 votes; several items to return for implementation

The Manatee County School Board on Oct. 28 unanimously approved a series of financial and personnel measures that the district presented as necessary to fund construction and operations and to implement negotiated employee pay changes.

Key outcomes (all votes recorded 5 to 0 unless noted):

- Certificates of participation: The board approved Certificate Resolution No. 2025-010 authorizing issuance of Certificates of Participation Series 2026A to finance construction for a new high school (referred to as High School AAA), Moody Elementary and the Lake Manatee addition; the board later approved parallel corporate resolutions through the Manatee Leasing Corporation. (Action: issuance authorization, passed 5-0.)

- Refunding issuance: The board approved Certificate Resolution No. 2025-012 authorizing issuance of Refunding Certificates of Participation Series 2026B to refund prior obligations, a measure the district said will reduce debt-service costs. (Action: refunding authorization, passed 5-0.)

- Master lease amendment: The board approved Resolution No. 2025-014 amending the district's master lease-purchase agreement tied to the 2026 issuance. (Action: master lease amendment, passed 5-0.)

- Budget amendments: The board approved July and August 2025 budget amendments affecting general, capital and special-revenue funds; staff described several chart strings and capital adjustments. (Action: budget amendments approved, passed 5-0.)

- Insurance and labor agreements: The board authorized renewal of stop-loss insurance for 2026 (not to exceed $690,145) and ratified the Manatee Education Association collective bargaining agreement, which staff said includes retroactive pay to July 1; related salary schedules and the classroom teacher and other instructional personnel salary increase allocation plan (TSIA) were also approved. (Actions: insurance renewal and CBA ratification, passed 5-0.)

- Other approvals: The board approved the contract for Parrish Classical Preparatory Academy (starting 2027 with a K—7 roll-up) and voted to publish draft redistricting maps after an Oct. 31 workshop for public review. The board also approved travel expenses for board members and the superintendent to attend the FSBA/FADs conference, not to exceed $8,000.

Board discussion on these items was generally procedural; staff and bond counsel explained the financing mechanics during presentations. Multiple items were also approved by the Manatee Leasing Corporation (the district's related corporate entity) with corresponding corporate resolutions.