The Miller bell in its new home.

(BRADENTON, FL - March 3, 2008) A standing-room only crowd filled the cafeteria on the evening of Monday, March 3, 2008 to help rededicate the construction of a brand new Jessie P. Miller Elementary School. Miss Miller was a distinguished educator in Manatee County for many years and served as the Superintendent of Manatee County Schools from 1933 to 1945.

In addition to current Miller principal Chuck Banks, his staff, students and parents, special guests at the rededication ceremony included Manatee County School Board members Robert Gause, Harry Kinnan, Jane Pfeilsticker and Walter Miller, as well as Superintendent Dr. Roger Dearing. The guest list also included former Miller principals Barbara Harvey and Roy Larson. Harvey, who currently serves as the chair of the Manatee County School Board, was principal at Miller from 1980 to 1990. Larson, now the District's Director of High Schools, served as principal at Miller from 1990 to 1994.

Former principals Barbara Harvey (left) and
Roy Larson (right) congratulate current
Miller principal Chuck Banks.

Although the surrounding community had a large dose of nostalgia for the old Miller school building that was originally dedicated in 1951, everyone agreed the new building was a magnificent replacement. The new state-of-the art facility contains two stories and covers over 100,700 square feet. It's built to accommodate more than 860 students and is the home to one of the district's largest elementary school media centers, with over 22,000 volumes on its shelves.

“This is such a beautiful place for learning,” Barbara Harvey said. “Miller Elementary has always been known as a school that cares. I've been in education for 40 years, and the best 10 years of my life I spent here at Miller.”

Miller staff members joined the school's
chorus for a few musical selections.

Located on the busy southeast corner of Manatee Avenue and 43rd St. W. in Bradenton, Miller Elementary has always been one of the most visible schools in the district. One of the most loved features of the old school was a bell tower dedicated in 1989 in the memory of Matthew Elswick. Although the bell tower was demolished along with the rest of the old school, the bell from the tower is now encased in a special place in the new school building's lobby.

Community members arrive for
the rededication festivities.

One of the highlights of the rededication ceremony was when a group of teachers and staff members joined the school's chorus on stage to perform a couple of musical numbers. Sheridan Dowling, the District's Director of Construction Services also thanked representatives from Holmes Hepner and Associates, the architects on the project; and representatives of W.G. Mills, Inc, the construction manager for the new building.

Principal Chuck Banks summed up the unifying spirit that makes Miller special when he said, “This is a school where we try to make every child a winner every day.”