Anna Maria Elementary will have a new principal for the 2024-25 school year.
The school’s advisory council met April 18 in the Guy Harvey Room at AME, 4700 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, for its final meeting of the 2023-24 school year and learned of principal Mike Masiello’s retirement.
At the meeting, they discussed Masiello’s plans as well as the plan to find his replacement.
The SAC members also discussed the loss of teacher and support staff in the coming year and upgrades to the campus, including an outdoor classroom and deck.
Masiello, teachers Pidge Barreda and Sandy Fisher and parents Janae Rudacille and Jessica Patel attended the meeting. Absent SAC members were Julie Sawyer, Christine LaBranche, Jenny Moore and Chris Culhane.
Starting at the top, the council discussed Masiello’s retirement — set for the end of this school year.
Masiello became principal in 2021 after principal Jackie Featherston retired.
He has worked for the Manatee County School District for nearly 20 years and was instrumental in establishing the Guy Harvey Academy of Arts and Science at AME.
Masiello said he will be involved in the selection of a new principal, who could be named in May.
AME will see other changes in staffing, with one less third-grade teacher, the elimination of a guidance clerk position and the removal of the school substitute position districtwide.
Instead of a designated substitute, the school will utilize the district’s employee self-service system to find temporary teachers.
Meanwhile, due to low third-grade enrollment at AME, the district cut a teacher.
However, Masiello said an additional teacher could be hired for third- or fifth-grade, depending on enrollment before the new year begins.
For 2024–25, AME will have two kindergarten teachers, two first-grade teachers, two second-grade teachers, one third-grade teacher, two fourth-grade teachers and one fifth-grade teacher.
Changes in teacher allocation throughout the district are due to the depletion of funds from the district’s $1 million Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief grant from the state to help with COVID-19.
In other news, a rendering of a new outdoor learning classroom was shown.
The space — construction has begun — includes a main teaching area and three offshoot areas.
The school’s organic garden and butterfly garden were removed to make room for the space but both gardens will be rebuilt on the campus.
Funds to construct the learning space came from the school’s $1 million awarded for the Guy Harvey Academy, which had to be spent by the end of 2023–24.
The school also has $2 million in funds remaining it has three years to spend.
Another order of business was a SAC evaluation, where the council talked about the effectiveness of the council.
An area where the council saw challenges was with its membership number.
Bylaws say the council should consist of 16 members, but AME only has 10 members.
A combination of teachers, staff, parents and community and business members but no students.
The council might change the meeting times to encourage more parent involvement.
About the committee
The school advisory council facilitates collaboration between parents, the community and school administrators to improve educational programs and promote parental involvement.
For more information about the committee, contact the school at 941-708-5525 or go online to www.manateeschools.net/annamaria.