The mission of the Legal Department is to provide the highest quality legal services to the School District of Manatee County (SDMC) by ensuring timely and accurate legal advice and effective representation on all legal matters faced by the district in fulfilling its mission of educational excellence. 

The Legal Staff is comprised of a General Counsel and their Executive Secretary. The General Counsel is hired by and reports directly to the Superintendent. They provide general legal advice and representation for SDMC and for Charter schools, consistent with the SDMC Policy and Procedure Manual. The General Counsel represents the Superintendent in prosecuting employee discipline cases and student expulsions. They also oversee all district contracts, as well as all existing and new school board policies. They attend all board meetings.

The School Board Attorney is contracted to provide general legal advice and representation to the School Board.

The current General Counsel is Pamela D’Agostino.

Ms. D’Agostino previously served as an Assistant County Attorney for the Manatee County Attorney’s Office from 2015 until August 2023. In that role she provided advice and counsel to the Board of County Commissioners, County Administrator and staff; assisted the County Administrator and senior managers with development of administrative policies and procedures which were compliant with laws, due process, and other relevant legal concerns; drafted and assisted in negotiating leases, contracts, and similar documents; and litigated and defended eminent domain and real property cases in state court on behalf of the County. From 2007 to 2015, Ms. D’Agostino served as an Assistant State Attorney for the Office of State Attorney in Bradenton. In that role, she prosecuted violent felony offenses involving the use of a firearm or deadly weapon and crimes committed by Career Criminals, Habitual Felony Offenders, Habitual Violent Felony Offenders; she prosecuted felony offenses and managed a caseload of, on average, 150 cases from October 2009 to February 2013, and provided education and training to law enforcement on domestic violence prosecution and case law. She received her Juris Doctor (JD) degree from Stetson University College of Law in May, 2007.

The role of the School Board Attorney is currently served by Stephen R. Dye, Esq., of the Bradenton law firm of Dye, Harrison, Kirkland, Petruff, Pratt & St. Paul, PLLC.