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District names foster liaison after summit; staff outlines enrollment, transport and training priorities
Summary
Following an April foster-care summit, the district named Susan Goodhue its foster liaison, described a flowchart for same‑day enrollment updates, and reported about 271 students in foster care; board members asked staff to produce a formal district foster-youth policy by fall.
District staff and community partners reported steps to strengthen education services for students in foster care and introduced the district's new foster liaison.
Miss Singleton, who organized the April 6 foster-care summit in partnership with the Manatee Education Foundation and United Way Suncoast, summarized the summit’s goals and training activities and described a community resource bank to connect agencies and service providers. Mister Billman of the Manatee Education Foundation said the work is supported by a nearly $200,000 three‑year United Way Suncoast grant that will fund liaison and partnership activities.
Susan Goodhue, identified at the workshop as the School District of Manatee County’s foster liaison, described her primary duties: ensuring immediate and accurate enrollment when students enter or change placements, coordinating transportation to preserve school stability where appropriate, gathering necessary custody and student records, and working across ESE and student‑services teams to minimize educational disruption. “Placement changes happen very frequently,” Goodhue said, and the district is prioritizing same‑day updates to records so schools can act on accurate information.
District staff reported approximately 271 students currently in foster care. Board members asked that registrars, case managers and school staff receive targeted training this summer; Miss Singleton said registrar training and a finalized flowchart for enrollment procedures will begin effectively in July 2026. Several board members asked staff to bring a proposed district policy on foster youth to the board by fall 2026 to codify responsibilities and procedures.
Superintendent and administrative staff said they will continue convening partners — including Lutheran Services and Safe Children’s Coalition — to improve case‑manager training and data sharing while protecting student privacy.
The board did not take formal action at the workshop; staff were directed to return with draft policy language and a timeline for training and implementation.
