School District of Manatee County


The School District of Manatee County, in Manatee County, Florida, provides education to over 49,000 students. It employs over 7,000 people.
The School District is managed by the Manatee County School Board and the Superintendent. Cynthia Saunders is the current Superintendent of Schools. Current Manatee County School Board members are Chairwoman Gina Messenger, District 1; Vice-Chairman Charlie Kennedy, District 2; Dave "Watchdog" Miner, District 3; Dr. Scott L. Hopes, District 4; and Rev. James Golden, District 5.
As of June 2019, SDMC has achieved an overall ranking of “B,” according to the Florida Department of Education's school grade system, which is based on the New Florida Standards and Florida Standard Assessments test results.

"Senior Leadership"

School Board of Manatee County

The district's administrative offices are primarily located in Downtown Bradenton at 215 Manatee Avenue West. The School District of Manatee County is governed by the School Board of Manatee County, a body of five elected officers, each board member representing a particular geographic area. The current School Board members, in order of district number, are: Gina Messenger, Charlie Kennedy, Dave "Watchdog" Miner, Dr. Scott L. Hopes, and Rev. James Golden. Board members are elected every four years, with Districts 2, 4, 5 elected during midterm election cycles and Districts 1, 3 elected during presidential cycles.
NameDistrictBiography
Gina Messenger
1Gina K. Messenger she grew up in Northwest Bradenton and graduated from Manatee High School in 2005. Many members of Gina's family served as public service role models. Gina's grandmother, Carmela Busciglio, was a teacher in Manatee County. Her father, Joe worked in the Manatee County Health Department for 38 years and her Mother, Karla, is a registered nurse. An early experience volunteering at Jessie P. Miller as a high school student influenced Gina's decision to become a teacher. Gina's sister is also a teacher and educates college students in Tampa. Gina attended the University of Central Florida received many awards, including The President's List and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education in 2009. After graduating she went on to teach in Marion and Orange Counties. Her experience teaching rural and inner-city environments emphasized her focus on the importance of Title I and early childhood education. While teaching in Orange County, Gina was rated a “highly effective” teacher. Gina married her college sweetheart in 2012 in Orlando. Gina and her husband live in Parrish and have a single daughter.
Charlie Kennedy
2Charlie Kennedy grew up in Pittsburgh attending Mt. Lebanon High School and, before moving to Bradenton, had been coming to Manatee County since being a young fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates and their spring training home. Kennedy earned a B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh and Masters of Education from Duquesne University. Kennedy moved to Bradenton in 2004 where he began his teaching career. Kennedy has been a teacher of Social Studies and other subjects at in Washington, DC, the Pendleton School at IMG Academies and Manatee High School. Recently, prior to becoming a School Board Member, Kennedy was an 11th and 12th grade teacher of U.S. History, Economics and Government at Manatee High School. Kennedy's partner, y media naranja of 15 years, Lisa Ramirez, is active in the community working for Healthy Start of Manatee County and Unidos Now. She also serves on the governing board of METV and the Healthy Teens Coalition.
Dave "Watchdog" Miner3Mr. Miner graduated from Amherst College and the University of Detroit Law School and has maintained a practice of law in Bradenton for over 25 years. He previously has served as an Assistant City Attorney, Assistant County Attorney, and Resident Assistant State Attorney. Mr. Miner represents the School District on the Florida School Board Association Board of Directors and on the Central Florida School Board Coalition, consisting of ten school districts. He currently serves as President of the Anna Maria Island Kiwanis Club and auditor of the League of Women Voters. Previous community service has included being a Big Brother, President of Manatee Children's Services, Chairman of the Manatee County Cable Television Advisory Board, President of the Southwest Florida Amherst College Alumni Association, Region IV, Governor of the Florida Association of School Advisory Councils, Statewide Board Director of the Coalition for Assessment Reform, Member of the School Advisory Councils at Manatee High School and King Middle School, Treasurer of the Healthy Start Coalition, and member of the Board of Directors of the Manatee Opportunity Council.
Dr. Scott L. Hopes4Scott Hopes is chairman and chief executive officer of CliniLinc, a health and medical information services and technology company with offices in Miami, Sarasota, Tallahassee and Dublin, Ireland. Hopes is a graduated from Bay County High School of Panama City in 1979. He got his Associate of Arts from Gulf Coast Community College in 1980. Later he went to the University of South Florida getting a Bachelor of Arts in Natural Sciences in 1983; two years later he got a, Master of Public Health in Epidemiology and Biostatistics and later received a Doctor of Business Administration from Muma College of Business in 2017. In 1984, during a shortage of science teachers in Florida's public schools, Hopes started teaching eighth and ninth grade science in the School District of Hillsborough County. Hopes was not trained as a teacher in college, yet after his first year of teaching he was appointed to the Department Chairman of the Science, Health, Physical education, and Media departments at McLane Junior High in Brandon, Florida, and became the first Department Chairman at the newly built Burns Middle School in Brandon in 1986. Hopes concurrently studied education and gifted student education at the University of South Florida, College of Education. Hopes was recruited in late 1986 by Tampa General Hospital, and later became the hospital's Evening and Night Administrator. Hopes started his health care consulting practice at Ernst & Whinney in Miami in 1988 and in 1989 co-founded the consulting firm Healthcare Management Decisions, Inc. in St. Petersburg, Florida; Healthcare Management now has offices in Miami, Sarasota, Tallahassee and Dublin, Ireland. In 1999, Hopes served as a member of Governor Jeb Bush’s administration at the Agency for Health Care Administration. Hopes oversaw the Bureau of Certificate of Need and Financial Analysis and went on to be Director of the Division of Health Policy, responsible for the development and implementation of health care policy, research and legislation for the State of Florida. Hopes recently served as the Board of Trustees of the University of South Florida System, which oversees the Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee campuses. Hopes has served over 30 years as an executive and consultant to major health care companies, hospitals, governments, pharmaceutical companies, insurance/HMOs, and physician providers in the areas of health policy and planning, health care finance, health facilities and systems management, risk management, epidemiology, disease management, correctional health and public health. Hopes acquired his first hospital in Destin, Florida in 1994. Hopes has served as a researcher at the University of South Florida College of Medicine and College of Public Health and has published in the areas of clinical medicine, health policy and health care finance. Hopes has spent more than 25 years lobbying the legislature to improve access to primary care and hospital services, improve public education and to hold government accountable to the citizens and taxpayers of Florida. Hopes is 56 and married with three adult children.
Rev. James Golden5No bio available.

Superintendent

Mrs. Cynthia Saunders was sworn in as Superintendent of the School District of Manatee County on June 28, 2018, following the departure of former Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene, who was named Superintendent of Duval County Public Schools.
On February 12, 2019, the School Board approved a contract to retain Mrs. Saunders as the full-time Superintendent moving forward. Board members cited her performance as Superintendent during the previous seven months, her in-depth knowledge of issues confronting the school district and the fact that her leadership would bring a sense of stability to the district as strong reasons for her continued service.

Schools

High schools