Monday, April 29, 2013
Schools must be ready to lay off staff, in order to meet budget requirements, school leaders say.
Manatee County schools need to fast track plans to cut staff, reduce spending and build reserves, which have fallen way below state requirements. The Bradenton Herald is reporting that Superintendent Rick Mills' transition team is recommending that the district move forward to reduce personnel to meet budget requirements. A detailed plan is expected by June 1, with the consolidation to be in place by July 1. School leaders expressed hope that most of the cuts can be done through attrition. But Manatee County Schools must be ready to lay off workers, said Karen Carpenter, the school board chairwoman, according to the Bradenton Herald. Carpenter noted that cutting staff will result in the biggest savings, as personnel costs are 80 percent of…
Thursday, March 28, 2013
New Manatee District Schools Superintendent Rick W. Mills appreciates the warm and gracious welcome! This week Mills will continue to meet and spend time with people. Plus, he will throw out the first pitch at a spring training baseball game.
Monday, December 17, 2012
If your house is the best decorated you can win $500 to play your electric bill and $100,000 for Manatee County Schools.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
You have an opportunity to take first place in Bradenton, which means local bragging rights at the very least.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
You have an opportunity to take first place in Bradenton, which means local bragging rights at the very least.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Did you decorate your house for the holidays this year? Enter our "Deck the House" contest and you could win $100,000 for your local school district and $500 to pay your electric bills!
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
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Tuesday, November 27, 2012
We’re launching our annual Deck the House Contest to find the most over-the-top holiday decorations in America—the best “decked” house in the country—the one home so spectacularly decorated that everyone in town jokes your holiday decorations could rival Rockefeller Center’s. If this sounds like your house, upload a photo or video of your home to our contest page from Nov. 26 to Dec. 16 to deckthehouse.patch.com/contest/bradenton. Only residents of Patch towns are eligible to enter. We’ll select 24 regional finalists, and from them, pick one grand prize winner. Patch will pay up to $500 of the utility bill for each finalist, while our national winner will have $100,000 donated to his or her local school district. So, what are you waiting …
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Before you stuff your turkey, you can help stuff the bus to help those less fortunate.
- SCHOOLS
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Sunday, November 18, 2012
In the ongoing effort to help feed the hungry here, the 4th annual “Stuff the Bus” event will take place at all Manatee County Publix Super Markets today, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. to benefit The Food Bank of Manatee. This initiative is a partnership between the Manatee School District, Publix, Tropicana, FM radio stations 106.5 CTQ and 92.1 The Coast and United Way of Manatee County “What started as an idea from a few employees in the School Transportation Department has become one of the largest community efforts to help The Food Bank of Manatee to feed children and families in need,” said Scott Martin, Assistant Superintendent, School District Support Services. “With the holiday season approaching, we encourage everyone to come together…
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
The district's budget will include 2 percent in its reserves, below the 3 percent required by the state.
The Manatee School Board cut $6 million from its budget in order to deal with a budget crisis that threatened to leave the school district with a budget deficit. The cuts hit some of the county's neediest the hardest. The Herald Tribune reported: the casualties included a program that helps the county's poorest teenagers and the positions of specialists who work with special education students. The budget also includes leaving some vacant positions unfilled and bonuses for employees who choose to retire. Robert Gagnon, the interim district superintendent, suggested the cuts to get the district through the next year without cutting teacher salaries or promised bonuses. The school board approved the $555 million budget with the understanding…
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Tim McGonegal sent a memo to the School Board about the deficit on the same day he announced his resignation.
On the same day Superintendent Tim McGonegal made a suprise announcement that he planned to retire, he informed the School Board in a memo that the district faces a $3 million deficit. After months of optimism about the schools budget, so much so that the board had considered a pay raise for teachers, the district must now consider a hiring freeze and possible scaling back teacher raises. What led to the unexpected budget gap? In his memo to board members, McGonegal said: In total, teacher salaries and benefits were $6.7 million over budget in 2011-12. In addition, his memo said the district had neglected to budget $700,000 for text books and another $480,000 for teachers at the district's virtual schools. McGonegal then laid out a plan …
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Tim McGonegal plans to retire in February, citing personal reasons.
- SCHOOLS
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Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Tim McGonegal, Superintendant of the Manatee School District, disclosed that he will retire, effective Feb. 28, for personal reasons. The announcement was unexpected. McGonegal has been the schools chief for just three years. His departure will take place after the school district starts planning for the next budget year. The schools budget for 2013 is expected to be approved this month, and the superintendent's role in the process is critical. McGonegal joined the Manatee County School District in January 2002 as Assistant Director of Finance. He was named Director of Finance in June 2004 and promoted to Assistant Superintendent of Business Services in February 2005. McGonegal replaced Dr. Roger Dearing, who served as Superintendent in …
MRiss
8:37 pm on Thursday, May 16, 2013
Central is a school to get kids who have messed up in high school back on track. Southeast is just like any other high school, with the exception of the IB program (which places intelligent, hard-working kids in an extremely rigorous program that mirrors what one would find at a University). Although their numbers are low, consolidating these two schools would eliminate any chance of not-so-great… more ›