MANATEE

Manatee County Schools is a suburban district in central Florida serving 51,234 students across 82 schools, comprising 43 elementary, 12 middle, and 13 high schools. The district experienced modest enrollment growth of 2.0% from the prior year, with a student-teacher ratio of 17.3:1 supported by 2,963 teachers.

Academic performance shows mixed results relative to state benchmarks. Math proficiency stands at 59.0%, exceeding the state average of 55.3%, while reading proficiency of 53.0% slightly surpasses the state average of 52.6%. However, the graduation rate of 82.0% falls notably below Florida's average of 86.0%, representing a four-percentage-point gap.

Demographic composition reflects significant economic and linguistic diversity. Approximately 58.9% of students qualify as economically disadvantaged, 15.0% are English learners, and 16.2% receive special education services. The racial distribution is 41.7% White, 38.4% Hispanic, 12.4% Black, and 2.2% Asian.

Financially, the district operates on a $642.6 million budget with per-pupil spending of $11,837, approximately $628 below the state average. Revenue sources are distributed across federal funding (12.0%), state contributions (30.1%), and local sources (57.9%), indicating substantial reliance on local revenue generation. This funding structure and spending level support operations across a moderately large suburban system with significant demographic needs.