BRADENTON, Fla. — From building new campuses to achieving record-high graduation rates, the Manatee County School District says their previous strategic plan was a resounding success. Now, as they prepare for the 2026-2027 school year, district leaders are drafting a new plan that shifts priorities from managing explosive growth to strengthening what they've already built.
The district is coming off one of its best years ever. Last school year, Manatee County recorded its highest graduation rate in history and celebrated more A and B-rated schools than ever before. Now, leaders say it's time to build on that momentum.
From "Ready 2026" to Sustained Excellence
The new three-year strategic plan will guide the district through June 2029, according to Associate Superintendent Kevin Chapman, who detailed the priorities at Lakewood Ranch High School — one of the district's top-performing schools."
"The school district just went through a strategic plan process that started in January," Chapman explained. "Our last plan just ended in June. It was a four-year plan."
That previous plan, called "Ready 2026," was laser-focused on one thing: keeping up with unprecedented growth in communities like Parrish, Palmetto, and Lakewood Ranch.
"We've had to build five or six schools in those years," Chapman said. "We knew back in 2021, 2022 that these last four years we were gonna see tremendous growth."
But now, as enrollment stabilizes and classroom seats fill, the new plan takes a different approach — less construction, more investment in existing schools and the people who work in them.
Four Priority Areas: Academics, Facilities, Staff, and Stability
The new strategic plan focuses on four key areas:
1. Academic Momentum With the most A and B schools in district history and record graduation rates, Chapman says continuing that success is priority number one.
"We just celebrated our most successful academic year in Manatee County," he said. "We're really proud of that, and we're continuing that momentum."
2. Capital Investment in Existing Schools Rather than building new campuses, the district plans to use capital dollars to maintain and improve existing facilities.
"We've got enough schools now. Our enrollment is steady," Chapman explained. "So really another part of the plan is, what do we do with those capital dollars? Let's continue to make sure that we have the best high quality schools that we think are in Florida."
3. Teacher Recruitment and Retention Perhaps the most telling sign of district health: As of early August, the district had only 15 teacher openings out of approximately 7,000 employees.
"That's our best start we've ever had," Chapman said. "Educators are coming here to teach, and we encourage that. A big part of the plan is to retain those teachers and have them here for the rest of their career."
Chapman credits attractive facilities, competitive pay, and a growing reputation for educational quality for drawing teachers from surrounding counties like Pinellas, Hillsborough, Sarasota, and DeSoto.
"Our pay is good, but our quality of schools and our quality of education and what we're doing here, I think, is attracting teachers," he said.
4. Financial Responsibility and Quality of Life The district is working with county officials and other entities to make Manatee County an attractive place not just to work, but to live.
"This is a county and a school district that is financially responsible, is transparent, and has a good quality of life," Chapman said. "We're almost surrounded by water, and we have great airports in the area. It's a reason why there's so many families moving not only from inside Florida to Manatee County, but outside of Florida."
What It Means for Families
For parents and students, Chapman says the plan means consistency and continued improvement.
"To have your child go into an A and B school, to be able to graduate and go on to a great college or a great career... I think continuing those strong academics in this plan is a big part of it," he said.
The district also boasts what Chapman calls "the best technical college" in Florida — Manatee Technical College — where students can complete career training in just one year.
Community Involvement
The strategic planning process wasn't created in a vacuum. Since January, the district has involved parents, teachers, principals, staff, community members, and business leaders in shaping the plan's priorities.
"It's good when somebody can pull up a strategic plan of an entity of this size and really see what is going to take place over the next three years," Chapman said. "That shows a very healthy business and a healthy organization."
What's Next
The new strategic plan will be presented to the five-member school board at their meeting on August 25th. If approved, it takes effect immediately — just as students head back to class for the 2026-2027 school year.
District leaders say the plan represents a natural evolution for a rapidly growing community that's finding its footing.
"Less building will take place and more keeping our schools at the top quality with capital projects," Chapman said. "Less building schools and more just maintaining the high quality facilities that we have here in Manatee County."
The first day of school for Manatee County students is August 10th. The strategic plan vote is scheduled for the school board meeting on August 25th.
Share Your Story with Haley
Tampa Bay 28's Haley Zarcone lives and works in Manatee County. It’s her mission to connect with her neighbors and help them find answers to the issues they see every day.
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