Manatee School Board names three finalists for superintendent

The School Board of Manatee County is narrowing down its candidates for the next leader of the district. 

Doug Wagner, Jason Wysong and Scott Schneider were selected from 12 semifinalists today at the School District of Manatee County board meeting to be the next superintendent. 

All five school board members wanted Schneider, who is the chief of schools at Duval County Public Schools, to be a finalist. 

Doug Wagner, who has been serving as the deputy superintendent of operations for the School District of Manatee County since 2018, and Jason Wysong, who is serving as a deputy superintendent for Seminole County Public Schools, were selected by four board members to be finalists. 

Bill Vogel with the Florida School Board Association, which is the consulting firm helping the school board with the superintendent search, said Schneider is a finalist for the superintendent of the Brevard County School District. He also was in the running for superintendent in Charlotte County, but he withdrew. Vogel said Schneider's priority districts are Brevard and Manatee counties'.

Vogel said Wysong is a finalist in Brevard County and has been recommended by a selection committee in Osceola County.