Manatee Elementary School

We are new to Manatee this year. My son is in fifth grade and loves it, so do I. His teacher (Mrs. Rice) keeps me updated on his work and offers advice on how to help him succeed. He has never had such a dedicated and caring teacher. He also has another fifth grade teacher for a reading tutor. She is so good with him. All the teachers are so caring and helpful. The tone of the school is very positive. The principal is very visible. Love the experience.
--Submitted by a parent

Excellent school, The teachers recognize the needs of some students to be challenged beyond the curriculum giving them more advanced lessons along with the required curriculum. Also the teachers are very responsive to parents concerns phone calls and emails are returned promptly, sometimes surprisingly so.
--Submitted by a parent

Great school if your child is a run of the mill student and goes with the status quo- not the best setting for children who need a differentiated curriculum that allows for creativity and their own voice.

Awesome school. Caring teachers. Good kids. We're happy that we moved to Viera so our kids could attend this school.
--Submitted by a parent

This is our 3rd year at Manatee and my children are really happy & thriving at this school. The teachers and office staff are nice and friendly. The kids come from good backgrounds, which is understandable with Manatee in an upper middle class to wealthy part of town. A lot of parents are involved at Manatee which says a great deal about the school. The principal, Mr. Brown is at carline every morning & afternoon helping out. I am impressed with the academic workload the school offers and the teachers push the students to work hard, but also are quick to provide extra help to those who need it. We love Manatee!
--Submitted by a parent

We are new to Manatee this year and my first grade son loves it! His teacher is outstanding and communicates very well. I do not mind them changing the pick-up procedure for the children s safety although I am amused by cars being in line at 1:00PM. The front office has been nothing but pleasant and I always have a smile on my face when I leave there. We moved from beachside and it took a little while to get use to a big school but I have no regrets. The parents are very involved and the children are well behaved.
--Submitted by a parent

I have two children enrolled in Manatee. We have been involved with the school for three years. Overall, I am pleased with the education my kids are receiving. Second grade is a critical transitional grade, so more homework is to be expected. The teachers aren't always parent friendly, but they care about being good teachers and helping kids achieve their best. You will always find a few bad eggs in any school, but I have to say that so far, I have been happy. I applaud the school for trying to implement safety procedures during dismissal in order to keep the kids safe. I have never had a problem with the office staff or the principal. I have to laugh at the comment made here about too much FCAT teaching. Welcome to Florida!
--Submitted by a parent

I am shocked by some of the reviews on here. I have extremely high praise for Manatee Elem. One of the main reasons I didn't want to move is because I didn't want to take my son Cody out of Manatee. He had McLellan for K and she was a wonderful. The other K teachers were great also. For 1st he had Mrs. Kellam and I can't sing her praises high enough. The 1st gr team is stellar. In second grade it does get tougher but it needs to, the kids are growing. Office staff, Ruth is tough but fair in her dealings w/ all parents and great w/ the kids. Mr. Brown is a great principal. He isn't hiding he is out there directing traffic and saying good morning. I put in alot of volunteer hours and got to know most of the staff. They are an incredible team!
--Submitted by a parent

After only two months into the school year, I am seeking out private schools. We moved from another area in Brevard County and regret it! The problem is the 2+ hours of homework my second grade girl brings home each night. Twenty spelling words a week using words like Guacamole is absurd. That is in addition to the six pages of math, grammar, social studies and special projects. And don't expect any communication other than the weekly newsletter that you have to download off the teacher s website. I pay Smart Teachers tutoring center a small fortune each week just to keep my daughter on pace with the overloaded amount of work she is given each day. For the record, she won many academic awards in the other school she attended last year. This year she is struggling to retain because she is overloaded with work.
--Submitted by a parent

Not a bad school, but could use improvements. Some teachers are great, and some are just plain awful. Principal is kinda wishy-washy, set rules for some people and different rules for others. Kids are nice and come from good families. Too much FCAT based teaching; kids are deprived of a real school education so the teachers, principal can keep their jobs. But that is the same story at all the FL public schools.
--Submitted by a parent