Lab Day in Ms. Murray's Science class. Students investigated the qualities of water with their "penny" experiments!

Please join us in celebrating these outstanding transportation employees who were recognized by the #ManateeSchoolsGoodNews team for going the extra mile this school year! They received a $20 gift card. 🎉 👏 Curtis Sims (R. H. Prine Elementary) – A dependable and caring bus driver who consistently goes above and beyond for high-needs students with kindness, patience, and positivity. 👏 Charlene Love (Haile Middle) – A spirited bus aide whose enthusiasm and uplifting energy help students start and end their day with smiles. 👏 Lavern Scavella (Kinnan Elementary & Lee Middle) – A compassionate driver who creates a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment for every student. 👏 Valerie Black (Virgil Mills Elementary) – A dedicated aide who ensures student safety and well-being through teamwork, communication, and genuine care. 👏 Veasna Kim (Myakka City Elementary) – A professional and compassionate driver who supports students with complex needs with patience and respect. These individuals and other nominees were honored during the Bus Driver and Bus Aide Appreciation Day / Transportation Fish Fry at the Matzke Complex. Special thanks to the school administrators who participated in this recognition. Thank you to all our Transportation employees for making a difference in the lives of our students every single day! 💙 Special thanks to our community partners at Geckos Grill & Pub, Chick-fil-A Cortez, and MISSION BBQ for supporting our Good News campaign.

Drumroll, please! 🥁 The results are in for the 2025 Manatee County School Bus Rodeo, and the winning team is The Roadrunnerz (Beep Beep)! Led by longtime route supervisor Gina Miller, who has dedicated 26 years of service to transportation, this team proved that even our newest drivers can rise to the challenge. The four drivers who skillfully navigated the challenging obstacle course on Wednesday are all fairly new to our district: 🚌 Edinson and Nicholas – both joined in August 🚌 Don – celebrating one year of service 🚌 Zeke – proudly driving for five years on and off All the participating teams were celebrated by Director Jamie Warrington and Asst. Director Melanie Johnson. We’ve tagged the schools whose routes they drive — please join us in congratulating them and sharing this #ManateeSchoolsGoodNews! 🎉👏

The results and moments captured during Saturday’s Middle School XC meet are in… Girls - Teams and Individuals 🥇 Dr. Mona Jain Middle School 🥈 R. Dan Nolan Middle School 🥉 Martha B. King Middle School 🥇 Tatum B., Dr. Mona Jain MS 🥈 Katelyn M., Nolan MS 🥉 Emma V., Nolan MS Boys - Teams and Individuals 🥇 Buffalo Creek Middle School 🥈 Dr. Mona Jain Middle School 🥉 Haile Middle School 🥇 Maddox R., Buffalo Creek MS 🥈 Rafe T., King MS 🥉 Mitchell F., Dr. Mona Jain MS Congratulations to ALL the runners from Manatee County middle schools and their families for finishing the race and supporting your teams! #ManateeSchoolsGoodNews

Honoring a Legacy with Love and School Supplies 💚💛 Thank you to Frank Maggio and the Skyway Casuals, an Independent Support Group of the Tampa Bay Rowdies, for donating a large supply of school materials to Haile Middle School in memory of their beloved late teacher, Matthew Cox.

Matt was not only the Social Studies Department Chair and Athletic Director, but also a proud Rowdies fan and member of the Skyway Casuals. Their generous donation is a beautiful tribute to his legacy of service, school spirit, and community love. ⚽️ #ManateeSchoolsGoodNews

Security Screening at Secondary Schools – Beginning Monday, August 11, 2025, all students and visitors at district middle and high schools will be screened each school day using a high-tech security scanner system. For more information on this enhanced security screening procedure, visit https://www.manateeschools.net/securityscreening.

Family Empowerment Scholarship – Parents interested in applying for either FES-EO or FES-UA may review the eligibility requirements and application instructions at https://www.manateeschools.net/FES.