- September 11, 2024
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Jason Wysong, the superintendent of the School District of Manatee County, walked through Robert E. Willis Elementary School Aug. 15 waving to students as they passed in the hallways.
He stopped by classrooms and listened as teachers provided lessons to the students.
Wysong saw a class of first graders using magnified glasses in STEM class learning about matter. There was a class of fifth graders solving word math problems. A class of fourth graders brainstormed about jobs in different fields of science and kindergartners were learning about the different sounds letters make.
Wysong said although it was the fourth day of school, it looked like day 60 as things were running smoothly.
Leading up to the first day of school Aug. 12, Wysong said the district has been building momentum after a summer filled with professional learning opportunities.
As students and teachers returned to their school routines, Wysong said the district wants to sustain its success from his first year leading the district.
Kathy Price, the principal at Willis Elementary, said Aug. 12 was the best first day of school in her 11 years as principal, six of which have been leading Willis Elementary.
Price said there's an advantage to being at the same school for six years. It provides stability and her teachers and staff understand the expectations, she said.
Although teachers lost a day of preparation because of Hurricane Debby, Price and Wysong said it didn't deter teachers from being ready.
There also was an added sense of unity this first day as Price said teachers and staff rallied around anyone impacted by the hurricane. The school stayed open until 8 p.m. Aug. 6-9 in case teachers needed assistance.
"We have very caring and generous staff members who will come in, even if it's not their team or their area," Price said. "They will come and help wherever there's a need."
Wysong said the open houses were packed with families more than in the past. He said it's a sign of community buy-in that gets teachers energized.
The district also is focused on supporting its principals, Wysong said. The principals in turn support teachers and staff who support students.
Wysong said the district only lost three principals, all of whom retired, from last school year to this school year. Of assistant principals, the district only lost one, who retired.
He said retaining principals is an important factor in retaining teachers.
"The more leadership stability we have, the higher those retention rates go," Wysong said. "We're trying to make sure the community understands that when we support our school leadership teams, that does impact student achievement in a positive way."
Price said she appreciates the autonomy Wysong gives to principals as they know what's best for their schools because every school is different.
From an academic perspective, Wysong said the district wants to continue its momentum. The district saw an increase in the percentage of third grade students who can read on grade level. The district went from 50% of third graders reading on grade level in 2022-2023 to 54% in 2023-2024.
It also saw jumps in achievements in reading, math, science and social studies as well as middle school acceleration and the graduation rate.
"It's about locking in and continuing that momentum gain," Wysong said. "We're continuing to make sure teachers have the training and materials they need."
This year, Wysong wants the district to focus ton continue increasing reading scores for third graders, to raise graduation rates, and to increase learning gains to ensure all students are moving toward proficiency.
Wysong said a successful year also comes with "trying to keep things calm and quiet."
"When the superintendent's office is quiet, when board governance is effective, it absolutely makes things better for the teachers, and for the staff doing the work. They can focus on kids," he said.
Wysong said building student voices into the district's planning is crucial. The district will provide more student leadership forums this year.
He said the district hosted a forum last year in which 42 seniors spent the day talking about their experiences, what they loved and what they wished was different.
"We got a lot of great feedback from that, but it's also about creating a meaningful moment for them and an opportunity to talk about how the different leadership roles they had made them better students," Wysong said.
As with every school year, new opportunities and initiatives might arise for the district.
Here's a look at where the district stands as of the first day of school:
67: Total schools
31: Elementary schools
9: Middle schools
7: High schools
3: Non-traditional public schools
16: Charter schools
1: Technical college
53,416: Approximate projected enrollment in K-12 in traditional and charter schools and homeschool and with personalized education plans
52.7% male
48.3% female
43.8% white
35.8% Hispanic
12.04% African American
4.99% multi-racial
2.37% Asian
1% Indian
59.2% Students who qualify for free or reduced lunch
5,804: Approximate number of employees including short-term and part-time employees
2,785: Approximate number of teachers
657: Approximate number of paraprofessionals
$1,590,763,809: Projected total budget
100: Approximate number of bus drivers
110: Approximate number of bus attendants
102: Expected school bus routes
4: Van based routes
11,257: Approximate number of miles driven daily
