The School Board of Manatee County votes Tuesday, Sept. 8, on tax rates and a $1.67 billion budget for the 2026-27 school year. Lakewood Ranch property owners have one last chance to weigh in before rates are locked in.
The board will hold a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. at the Walter Miller School Support Center Board Room in Bradenton, according to the Sept. 8 meeting agenda. Residents can address the board during a public comment period of up to 60 minutes, with each speaker allowed three minutes.
The hearing is the final step in Florida's statutory budget process before rates take effect.
What's on the table
The tentative total millage stands at 6.275 mills, which the board adopted unanimously at a July 28 special meeting. That breaks down as:
- Required Local Effort: 3.027 mills
- Discretionary Operating: 0.748 mills
- Additional Operating (Voted Levy): 1.0 mill
- Local Capital Outlay: 1.5 mills
The tentative budget totals $1,671,372,839. Deputy Superintendent of Business Services Rachel Sellers presented the figures at the July 28 hearing, covering the proposed millage, the rolled-back rate and the proposed budget, according to meeting minutes.
All five board members voted in favor: Chair Cindy Spray, Vice-Chair Richard Tatem, Heather Felton, Charles Kennedy and Chad Choate. No residents spoke. Spray closed the public comment period after no one offered testimony.
A growing district
The budget covers a district that added two new campuses this school year, bringing its total to 56 district-managed schools. Superintendent Dr. Laurie Breslin spoke to that growth on Aug. 10 as students returned to class.
"We saw this need — this district was growing and continues to grow," Breslin told WWSB. "Not in leaps and bounds, but you see continued growth."
Final figures could differ from the tentative numbers when the board takes its vote. Beyond the budget and millage, the Sept. 8 agenda also lists approval of the Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2026, budget amendments for June 2026 and a charter school financial statement summary.
