MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — With the start of the school year, several Tampa Bay-area county schools have new leadership – including Manatee County.
Dr. Jason Wysong kicked off his first back-to-school day as the superintendent for the School District of Manatee County with a tour stop at several schools.
"We had a great first day so far in Manatee County," Wysong said.
Manatee County School District leaders joined staff and teachers to welcome students back into the classroom for the 2023-24 academic year.
Alongside the students getting introduced to new faces or re-acquainted with friends and hallway protocols was Wysong who was meeting many of them for the first time.
The superintendent joined the district in July after the previous superintendent, Cynthia Saunders, retired the month before.
"We're finding immaculate campuses and happy children and very prepared teachers," Wysong explained.
He started the first day of school with the traditional "bus wave" with bus drivers heading out on their routes to pick up students. He then stopped and interacted with students and parents at Palmetto Elementary, Manatee High, Nolan Middle School and Rogers Garden-Bullock Elementary.
Among some of the issues he addressed were concerns over gun violence and school shootings which have dominated the headlines. Wysong said safety will always remain his highest priority.
"We are reinforcing with staff, the importance of all of the safety protocols that we follow so that we're doing everything we can to keep kids safe," he said.
The superintendent also spoke about what his leadership plans for the district would be focused on.
"My expectation is that, there as I'm walking through classrooms, I'm seeing evidence of literacy instruction and learning every single day so that the students are reading, writing, speaking, and listening well," he explained.
Just as with nearby Sarasota County, Manatee County School District's student body has grown by around 3,000 and now stands at around 55,000. The number is a reflection of the area's growing population which would mean a greater need for more room and capital projects.
"We have projects going on constantly, whether those are to expand capacity or existing schools or where to build completely new ones and so we're working through that process," Wysong said.
The superintendent says the district now has only around 36 teaching positions to fill, and Human Resources staff are actively working on recruitment and retention programs and incentives.
"As educators were happiest when our students are here, so today is all about welcoming students back and setting the stage for a great school year," Wysong said.
The school district has around 16 active upgrade projects set to be completed by January. This academic year, district leaders hope to work with a nearly $1.3 billion budget if approved.