Manatee County 2022-23 School Year: Campus Safety, Free Lunch, COVID

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — With the 2022-23 school year kicking off Wednesday for Manatee County Schools, here’s everything your family needs to know.

Registration

Students new to the school district need to reserve a seat at a zoned school in the county, if they haven’t already, according to the district’s website. Families can reserve a seat for them online here. Previous K-12 students are automatically re-enrolled for the school year.

Meal Distribution

School breakfast remains free for all Manatee County Schools students, according to the district website.

Because of the expiration of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s nationwide COVID-19 waivers, lunch meals are no longer free for all students.

Some students still qualify for free or reduced meal benefits based on income. Families can apply here. Students who attend one of the Community Eligibility Provision schools will automatically receive free lunch and no application is required.

All other students will be required to pay for their lunches.

Campus Safety

In the wake of school shootings, such as the one in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 children and two adults dead, campus safety is on everyone’s minds.

Manatee County Schools plans to enhance security measures at athletic events and other extracurricular activities this year. Michael Barber, communications director for the district, told Patch that more details about these security upgrades will be released later this week.

“We have a very active and very efficient safety and security department that keeps our schools up to date with the latest security and safety needs,” he said. “We're constantly looking at ways to enhance security on our campuses.”

COVID-19 Policy

In the upcoming school year, Manatee County Schools will no longer track positive COVID-19 cases or update its dashboard, Barber said.

There’s also no longer any required quarantine period for students and staff who or sick or exposed to the virus.

“The main thing is anybody who has symptoms — who is sick or has symptoms — they have to stay home,” Barber said. “The bottom line is if you’re symptomatic, you have to stay home until you’ve been symptom free – either a negative test or five days and basically symptom free at that point.”

The district operation center will still be available to answer questions about COVID in local schools, he added. “It’s just not going to be the same kind of tracking as in past year. The controls have been loosened so much there could be a lot of positive cases that we aren’t even aware of.”

Riding the Bus

Students riding the school bus for the upcoming school year need to pre-require, the district said. All students must register and be assigned a bus prior to riding. Register for transportation here.

On its Facebook page, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office also offered the following safety tips for those riding the bus this school year:

• Wear clothing that makes you visible to traffic.
• Stay at least five giant steps from the street or bus while waiting to board.
• Stay away from the bus wheels at all times, as the driver might not see those too close to them.
• Don’t pick up anything you drop near the bus. Instead, ask the driver for help.
• Wait until the school bus and other traffic has stopped before stepping onto the road. Never run after the school bus once it has left the stop.
• Don’t play while waiting for the bus. Be aware of surroundings.

More Back to School Info

The school district has provided additional information, including supply lists by school, in the Back-to-School section of its website.

2022-23 Calendar

Here are some important dates to keep in mind this school year:

• Students’ First Day of School: Aug. 10
• Labor Day, schools closed: Sept. 5
• End of first quarter: Oct. 6
• Early release: Nov. 2
• Veteran’s Day, schools closed: Nov. 11
• Thanksgiving break, schools closed for students: Nov. 21-25
• End of first semester: Dec. 22
• Schools closed for students: Dec. 23
• Winter break, schools closed: Dec. 23 – Jan. 9
• Students return to school: Jan. 10
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day, schools closed for students: Jan. 16
• Presidents Day, schools closed: Feb. 20
• Early release day: March 1
• End of third quarter: March 9
• Record day, no school for students: March 10
• Spring break, schools closed: March 13-17
• Schools closed for students: March 20
• Schools closed for students: April 7
• Early release days: May 24-26
• End of second semester, last day of school for students: May 26