Manatee Elementary School in Brevard County

Category	Rating	Details
Test Scores	10/10	The Test Score Rating examines how students at this school performed on standardized tests compared with other schools in the state. The Test Rating was created using 2025 Florida Assessment of Student Thinking data from Florida Department of Education, and using 2025 Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking data from Florida Department of Education.
Student Growth	9/10	The Student Progress Rating measures whether students at this school are making academic progress over time based on student growth data provided by the Department of Education. Specifically, this rating looks at how much progress individual students have made on state assessments during the past year or more, how this performance aligns with expected progress based on a student growth model established by the state Department of Education, and how this school's growth data compares to other schools in the state. The Growth Rating was created using 2025 Student growth data from Florida Department of Education.

Posted: May 8, 2026

Principle and administration is horrible. Worst experience for my kindergartner. Removed my child within the first semester. Teacher was overwhelmed and spoke like she was a 6 yr old kid-very confusing for small children to decipher. Principle had almost nonexistent communication. Very disappointed.

Posted: May 8, 2026

Posted: July 23, 2024

This will be our family's 7th year at the school. When we moved to the area we chose our house and neighborhood based on the school and would couldn't be more pleased! Our kids have excelled, the communication and opportunities are great and our kids look forward to school. Hands down the best community we have been a part of!

Posted: July 23, 2024

Posted: July 16, 2023

We are getting ready to start our sixth year with Manatee. Each year we have been impressed by teacher/Staff communication, longevity of teaching experience, activities available and overall whole person education of our children. This school is definitely a gem!

Posted: July 16, 2023

Posted: November 15, 2022

It saddens me to see so many negative reviews here. It appears that many come here to complain, however, when things are going well, people rarely remember to come online to say that they're pleased. Bottom line, Manatee is an excellent school. The teachers are caring and professional. While personalities may not always match up, it was always clear to me that they want your child to succeed as much as you do. The school makes an effort to bring together the community, in spite of being such a large school. I feel like the school does very well, considering the ever-changing demands to meet or exceed expectations academically. They have managed to help close the (seemingly insurmountable) learning gap that distance learning created...better than most other schools, proving that there's no substitute for being in the classroom. My daughter's teachers were always caring and considerate of her needs and the needs of her classmates. Students with special needs were always a priority in her classes. I am a very proud parent of a Manatee alumni, and I always will be.

Posted: November 15, 2022

Posted: August 20, 2021

We love this school! It made my kids enthusiastic about learning. They love their teachers and are excited to go to school every morning.

Posted: August 20, 2021

Posted: August 20, 2020

We moved down here from a state leading in public education. We moved to this area specifically for the schools and we have not been disappointed with the education they have received at Manatee.

Posted: August 20, 2020

This school is no better or worse than the other schools my children have attended.

Posted: August 20, 2020

Weve only had good experiences between my three kids, including a child with ADHD.

Posted: August 20, 2020

We havent had this issue with any of our children.

Posted: May 20, 2020

Very disappointed! The principal and some teachers are Not doing their jobs!

Posted: May 20, 2020

Posted: March 11, 2020

Teachers dont care to help kids who have learning disabilities!

Posted: March 11, 2020

Posted: February 11, 2020

Not a great school in my opinion for what it was rated. If you are a gifted child you will do well.

Posted: February 11, 2020

They have a lot of homework to do each night starting at grade 4 taking up to 3 hours! Does not promote a child to play outside. My kids even have to study and do homework on weekends to prepare for tests on Mondays!

Posted: February 11, 2020

The teachers try hard to help but they dont have much support and get pushed by administrators to just keep testing even when students arent prepared with all material.

Posted: February 11, 2020

Posted: December 14, 2019

I would not recommend this school for any parent. Please do not be fooled by the Blue Ribbon of Excellence, that was awarded years ago.

Posted: December 14, 2019

The teachers send home the homework for the parents to do. They only review in class.

Posted: December 14, 2019

I have held more than 3 conferences to help the teacher assist my child and each was very unproductive.

Posted: December 14, 2019

No afterschool resources, no tutoring, no assistance or support of any kind from the school.

Posted: December 14, 2019

Posted: November 7, 2019

I would rate the overall experience as 1 star. Simply because the school is overcapacity and the teachers are not competent to teach larger groups. They have a formulaic way of educating children which is good for passing a standardized exam, but they are not providing a quality education. Overall, it's not worth the effort.

Posted: November 7, 2019

Posted: August 10, 2019

I am so glad to finally be done with this school. While it is a great school academically, there are several teachers her who are unstable and just plain mean. You do not have to be nasty to the kids to be effective. You're scaring the children. Let's work on kindness, love and acceptance of differences a bit more. Now, there are some teachers who were great in that regard. The kids are already stressed out with the state of the world we live in. It is okay to teach, but still be a soft place to land.

Posted: February 14, 2018

I am a student at this school and so far my time has been great I came from Guyana South America and it was a see less transition but a little different in spelling because they spell differently anyways this the best school I have ever been to I definitely recommend trying them

Posted: February 14, 2018

Posted: May 24, 2016

Worst school experience we have ever had. Thank God our oldest only started middle school here in Viera and did not have to attend. Teachers are elitist and condescending to students. If you ask questions and look for clarification your child will be targeted and given unreachable goals so they can set them up to fail. Took a gifted 5th grade straight A student and made them appear to be incapable of success due to their lack of teaching and structure in general. Ruined any opportunity for being considered for any special programs in middle school. Quest is a much much better choice. The teachers and administration at Quest actually care about the children and want to help them succeed. Run don't walk away from this school.

Posted: May 8, 2016

The teachers my youngest had from 1st - third were very effective teachers, just loved them all. My oldest had very effective teachers from k - 2nd.

Posted: May 8, 2016

They show no respect toward the student and are not honest with them. So what is being taught at home is thrown out at school.

Posted: May 8, 2016

Manatee is a great school as long as you are on admins good side and even then you better be some one that can do something for him. The teachers are great from k - 3, only about three I would stay clear of. After that your kid is on their own to fend for themselves on a daily basis. Don't worry so much about the rest of the kids but about the teachers and the admin on how they handle it all. No consistency what so ever. The teachers at this point are untouchable. They push the kids way too far and just to say how great they are but the kids really get no credit for it at all. The parents are ridiculous the ways some treat the teachers right in front of their child. The teachers only grade by test so if your child only had three math test and/or quizzes they better have received an 80 or better on each, because that is their grade for the nine weeks in math. I already had a child that was there from k to 6th and I thought well they just lost their way. They have been doing great in middle school and are looking forward to high school. I thought with my youngest being the opposite it would be different. Was I wrong, what a ride it has been. Unfortunately, they will not finish their last year at Manatee next year. It saddens me because this is the reason we moved hear so many years ago. But I cannot put my child through another year of this anymore. ALL ADMIN NEEDS TO GO ALONG WITH THE FIFTH GRADE TEACHERS. There is a sixth grade teacher that should go to, but they also could do no wrong.

Posted: September 3, 2015

I have a daughter that has attended Manatee since kindergarten, she just now started third grade. I have been very pleased with all the school has to offer. The teachers through the years have offered great ways to stay connected, through emails, notes, and last edline. The principal and staff do a great job making the school feel like a community, they do several activities through the year for the family. Their library is awesome, my daughter has a love for reading and she constantly brings books home. They have fostered in her a love for learning, and she has great appreciation for her teachers. It has been a great experience, we are now learning how to deal with the more demanding structure of third grade, but there is a learning curve with anything, this is just one more example. I hope you find this helpful.

Posted: September 3, 2015

Posted: October 25, 2014

Manatee is a wonderful place of learning. I have two children at Manatee and both rare excited to go to school every morning. The teachers I have encountered are nurturing and care about the students. Correspondence is constant for both good and bad reports . There is great parent involvement. The activities are many and always well attended. My girls love going there.

Posted: September 7, 2014

We moved here two years ago from Chapel Hill, NC. We have one child in the 4th grade and one in the 1st grade. I am an education researcher and have found that Manatee is a good school by Brevard County standards. So much depends on the classroom teacher, as far as individual instruction and differentiation. Concerns about testing and state mandates aren't really a school site issue, although I see some complaints here based on such. The faculty is friendly, the office staff could use a kick in pants. YOU must work with your children on homework and assignments if you want them to succeed (as it should be at every school). There are many morning and afternoon activities. The morning mile is great for extra fitness and odyssey of the mind is a wonderful afterschool club. If you look at school scores, school of choice Robert Stevenson scores tops for the county, but Manatee is a good school. If you want your children to exceed the average, I suggest a tutoring service and extra help outside of the regular school day. The school could improve by offering extra content work outside of the school day (kind of like the summer science camp).

Posted: September 6, 2014

We moved up from S. Florida thinking we found the perfect school and we were excited. Our child was an honor roll student and as soon as she started at Manatee her grades dropped. Had several conferences with the teacher and all we heard was don't worry. Also, only having 3 days of recess is not enough for a child, they need to get out and relax their minds. If I knew what I know now, I wouldn't have bought our home for this school zone. Look at Suntree, Quest or Ralph Williams Elementary Schools.

Posted: July 9, 2014

NOT ALL 10-RATINGS ARE DESERVING: MANATEE Will Teach Your Kid How To Score Higher On FCATs And LEARN Much Less - They Will Learn That PRAISE Is Over-rated, Unless The PAID Staff Is Receiving It - MANATEE Will Teach That Kids Only Count As Far As It BENEFITS The School or Admin; KIDS And Parents Are To Remain Quiet And Not DARE Question Nor Think - To Be Submissive, OR Suffer The Consequences - Not Mutual RESPECT or Performance - What Matters And Is Important Here Will Be DICTATED, So Grin And Bear It! - This School Will Provide ALL That, And So MUCH Less. - These Are YOUR KIDS, So SELECT Wisely. - Without Our Kids Or Money, They Have Nothing... USE IT! - YOUR Kids Are There ALONE ALL Day Being Intimidated; With NO Representation - If They Complain To You Today, Tomorrow They Are Back ALONE With Them - The Less A Parent Knows, The More They'll Love This Place. GET INFORMED! - There Is Only One BROWN To Be Concerned Of, NOT The Others - PARENTS Show Up, Don't Accept ANYTHING Blindly, Make DEMANDS, And STAY Involved AND Be Seen!

Posted: June 20, 2014

The School Appears To Have A High Rating, but overall it has plenty of shortcomings. The Academics are limited to what the Administration determines how it benefits him and the school's ranking, rather than the student's benefit. Trophies for the School, Nothing for the kids. The students are discouraged from independent thinking, by the over use of written reprimands and intimidation tactics by the Teachers. There is virtually No Physical Activities, they discuss it more than actually going out nor a true recess or physical games. No actual Certificates are issued if your child achieves Honors, etc. but they get a Tag or a Coupon from a Vendor. Perhaps paper isn't in the budget. There is No playful commencement on the last year at the school either, although a Clap-out is okay, but Not the same. The Principal Dictates over the staff, and expects that All Activities and Yearbooks will have an Inflated Price to gain a Commission profit from it. If possible, I would avoid Manatee Elementary and would find a home within Quest or Ralph Williams, or any other. Any school where the children matter more than the Administrator's career and false self-accolades.

Posted: June 18, 2014

I am VERY happy with our overall experience at Manatee. I have safety concerns and have never received such wonderful genuine action from any other school like we have had with Manatee. Mrs. DeSantis was our first teacher there when we moved to Manatee and I cannot even put in words just how wonderful she is. My son took pride in learning because of her and he went from struggling and feeling left behind in other school to feeling excited about learning and we saw such a huge improvement. The school overall communicates VERY well and the training they must have in safety again HIGHLY IMPRESSIVE. MR. Brown is the perfect principal and I feel so blessed to have had our son attend such a fine school. I think more schools need to have the kind of safety training and unity this school has. It felt like they were all on the same page. EXCELLENT communication. Mrs Eckert was our Second Grade Teacher and our son seemed to have the same experience with being given the tools to achieve. Obviously I personally have had the best experience here.

Posted: June 14, 2014

This school runs off students who don't fit the mold. If your child doesn't perform at the top the ridiculous amount of testing and assessments they will try to convince you to retain your child. What is worse, a good portion of the kids in the area seem to be on add drugs. If your kid thrives on spitting out massive amounts of standardized test prep worksheets and you're a parent who doesn't care about whether your child is getting any sort of deep learning experiences, then this is the school for you.

Posted: September 27, 2013

During recess, multiple teachers are out on the playground talking, not watching children, while multiple children are playing and as a result various injuries have occurred. The wait to get into the school is ridiculous. You may wait in line for 10-14 minutes, finally get to drop your child off and then the buzzer sounds, then your child is tardy. Multiple suggestions are brought up to the administration on ways to have effective change and the principal has no interest. If your child is well beyond what the classroom is learning, there are no suggestions or attempts to advance the child. Unfortunately, if a child has some learning challenges, the parents get phone calls constantly. I am very displeased with how the principal takes no interest with the kids or the environment. Creativity for the kids is limited. Remember, they are kids. Stop focusing on scores. They are all individuals. Some will be doctors, lawyers, artists, mechanics. Some will make fantastic scores and make nothing of their life while others may not test well and become anything they desire.

Posted: August 18, 2013

We are very surprised that they didn't move the current PE teacher back to the classroom so Mr. Bartlett could stay on. I know so many parents and teachers that feel the same way. My children are very upset that he is not at Manatee this year. He was one of the bright spots at this wonderful school. Our family has been at Manatee for five years and absolutely love this school and this area. We just wish they kept certain teachers.

Posted: January 17, 2013

The teachers only know how to teach 1 methodology and do not keep you updated on your child's progress. The principal seems uninvolved! My child received a scholastic award then 1 week later, they are threatening to hold her back! Go figure!

Posted: November 9, 2012

Not at all what I had expected. The school seems sterile and the children very soldier like. There's no talking allowed in the cafeteria, PE is very structured and if you get to go to recess it's at the end of the day and doesn't last long. The kids are there 6 hours and expected to be quiet the entire time with no outlet. The academics are quite rigorous, which I suppose would be a plus for many people, but the 2 hours of homework each night on top of the 6 hours sitting at a desk staring at a white board becomes overkill. They teach from the FCAT practice books more than they do the curriculum. I suppose since the goal is to be on top via FCAT scores this is appropriate. The art program is a joke, they've cut out computer lab since they "don't have time to teach science in the classroom" and now need a science lab. Such an odd an eery feeling when walking into the school. It's almost as if there are no children here. No smiles, no laughter. Seemed more like a bunch of robots.

Base	Distance
Patrick AFB	8.8 mi.
Cape Canaveral Air Station	16.7 mi.
Orlando Naval Base	35.3 mi.

Manatee Elementary School

Brevard County, FL 32940

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Manatee Elementary School

Brevard County, FL 32940

School Ratings

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