- School District of Manatee County
- Student Attendance and Engagement
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Manatee County has Compulsory School Attendance that, by law, requires all children ages 6-16 to attend school. Students ages 17 and 18 are also compelled by law to attend school, if they have not obtained a high school diploma or properly completed the paperwork to voluntarily terminate their enrollment. Our department utilizes a diverse cadre of social workers and intervention staff to assist students and families in overcoming obstacles that negatively impact student attendance.
School Social Workers
Manatee County School Social Workers are Master’s level professional with Florida Department of Education Certification who serve as a link between students/families, schools, and the community. We promote and support the success of approximately 50,000 students in over 50 District public schools, charter schools, and contracted sites by providing specialized services that include:
- Individual and group counseling
- Social- developmental and Educational Evaluations
- Parent consultation, education and training
- Professional case management
- Serving as members of school problem solving teams
- Consultation with School Psychologists, School Counselors, Teachers, Administrators and other School Staff
- Advocacy for students and parents
- Staff Development
- Serving as leaders and members of District Crisis Stabilization Teams
- Collaborating with schools and community agencies to identify needs and develop services
- Facilitating referrals to community agencies
Graduation Enhancement Technicians (GETs)GETs are allocated to schools receiving federal Title One funding. These specialists develop and utilize early warning systems to identify students who are most at risk due to absenteeism, lack of health/personal care, homelessness, and poor parent involvement. They collaborate with school social workers, guidance counselors, teachers and school leaders to develop systemic strategies to identify and support students who are frequently absent within our most at-risk populations.For more information regarding the GETs program, please contact Angie Schmitz at: 941-751-6550, ext. 43345
For more information on the truancy process, please call Steve Wigginton at: 941-751-6550, ext. 43091
The School District of Manatee County makes every effort to ensure that published information is accurate and current. However, the District makes no claims, promises, or guarantees about the absolute accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the content of this website, and expressly disclaims liability for errors and omissions in the content of this website. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this system does so at his or her own risk. Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to the District or any of its employees. Instead, contact the District or individual employee by phone or in writing.
Purposes for the Collection of Social Security Numbers