Manatee school board holds final hearing on $1.67B budget

The School Board of Manatee County held its final public hearing Tuesday, Sept. 8, on a $1.67 billion budget for 2026-27. The proposed total tax rate stands at 6.275 mills.

The hearing was the last step in Florida's statutory budget process before rates take effect. Millions in capital dollars are already flowing to Lakewood Ranch High School, where the board approved a $6,376,183 water-lines agreement with Ajax Building Company at its June 9 meeting. The board also approved substantial completion of stadium drainage at the campus and began advertising for architects and engineers for an HVAC renovation.

As we reported Sept. 2, the board had unanimously approved the tentative figures at a July 28 special meeting. Official minutes from the Sept. 8 hearing at the Walter Miller School Support Center had not been published as of Thursday, Sept. 10.

The board's posted agenda listed four action items: approval of the final millage rates, the final budget, the annual financial report for the fiscal year ended June 30, and budget amendments for June.

What the tentative numbers show

The tentative budget totaled $1,671,372,839. The 6.275-mill tax rate breaks down as follows:

Required Local Effort: 3.027 mills
Discretionary Operating: 0.748 mills
Additional Operating (Voted Levy): 1.0 mill
Local Capital Outlay: 1.5 mills

All five board members voted in favor of those tentative figures on July 28: Chair Cindy Spray, Vice-Chair Richard Tatem, Heather Felton, Charles Kennedy and Chad Choate III. No one spoke against them. Deputy Superintendent of Business Services Rachel Sellers presented the tentative budget.