Leadership
District profile / Florida
Manatee County
54,215
Students
2024-25 school year
82
Schools
2024-25 school year
$10,483
Spending per student
FY2020-21 · about the same as the Florida median
17.4
Students per teacher
2024-25 · Florida median 17.4
Manatee County is a public school district based in Bradenton, Florida, serving 54,215 students in 82 schools. By enrollment it ranks #15 of the 66 Florida districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 78% of them. Its schools average 661 students each, more than the Florida median of 572. Its superintendent is Dr. Laurie Breslin. It spends about $10,483 per student on day-to-day operations, about the state median. It has roughly 17.4 students per teacher. We've matched 6 news stories to the district.
How Manatee County compares
Manatee CountyFlorida median, districts with 1,000+ students
Spending and staffing
Where the money comes from$642.6 million in revenue · FY2020-21
Federal 12%State 30%Local 58%
| Measure | Manatee County | Florida median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $10,483 | $10,483 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $6,452 | $5,885 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $618.9 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $642.6 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 3,109 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 6,543 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 17.4 | 17.4 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 385 | 428 | 2024-25 |
Spending: NCES school district finance survey (F-33), FY2020-21. Staffing and enrollment: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25. Via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. The Florida median compares districts with 1,000 or more students.
Leadership
Moves tracker →Dr. Laurie Breslin
Source: Florida Department of Education, Superintendents, checked 2026-10-04. Report a change
In the news
6 stories matchedBudget & finance
Manatee County School District files civil suit over half-penny tax agreement
Policy & legislation
Manatee County School Board sues two charter schools over tax share
Leadership
Manatee County School Board Notes: 10/06/26
Policy & legislation
Manatee County School Board sues two charter schools over tax share
Leadership
Q&A: Meet Jonathan Mullis, Manatee County School Board District 5 Candidate
Peer districts in Florida
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manatee CountyBradenton · this district | 54,215 | 82 | $10,483 | 17.4 | #15 |
| St. Johns CountySt Augustine | 52,324 | 55 | $8,771 | 18.4 | #16 |
| St. Lucie CountyPort St Lucie | 49,308 | 56 | $10,361 | 19.4 | #17 |
| Collier CountyNaples | 48,252 | 74 | $12,144 | 16.8 | #18 |
| Lake CountyTavares | 47,982 | 61 | $9,672 | 17.8 | #19 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mesa Unified District (4235)Mesa, AZ | 55,821 | $10,088 | 18.3 |
| Forsyth CountyCumming, GA | 54,864 | $10,321 | 15.7 |
| Arlington ISDArlington, TX | 53,339 | $10,333 | 13.8 |
| Omaha Public SchoolsOmaha, NE | 52,524 | $14,665 | 16.7 |
Peers are the districts closest in enrollment, so they can still differ in many other ways. Enrollment, school counts and phone numbers are from the NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25.
Printed from Superintendent's Corner: https://superintendentscorner.com/district-fl-manatee-county