For the second year, and amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the School District of Manatee County was able to celebrate graduating seniors in-person thanks to a partnership with the Pittsburgh Pirates/Bradenton Marauders. Outdoor graduation ceremonies were held for five traditional high schools from June 1st through June 5th at LECOM Park. Manatee High School has a long-standing tradition of hosting their own ceremony at Hawkins Stadium. The Class of 2021 leaves behind a legacy of success, despite facing so many challenges. The senior class earned more than $4.4 million in scholarships and got accepted into more than 180 colleges, universities and other post-secondary academic institutions across the United States. Other seniors are serving in our military or starting their working careers.
The School District of Manatee County was the first in the Tampa Bay area to open schools on August 17, 2020. While we started with only 48-percent of our students attending classes full-time on campus, we ended the school year with nearly 90-percent of students back in the classroom. Together, we finished the year without missing a single day of school.