Manatee school district calls for nominations in renaming of K-8 campus

Time is running out in the process to rename Johnson-Wakeland School of International Baccalaureate. The Manatee County School District will publish nominations in less than two weeks, and a final decision is expected in about one month.

Motivated by their close proximity and a need to balance enrollment across Manatee County, the school board unanimously voted to close Wakeland Elementary School, previously at 27th St. E., and merge it with Johnson Middle School, at 26th Ave. E., in Bradenton. The new K-8 school opened in August 2018.

Residents soon called for an updated name, and the school board started a renaming process in October, followed by a town hall meeting several weeks later, according to a news release.

“That six-month process is now nearing its conclusion,” the release states.

There are several ways to submit a nomination:

• Email submissions to communications@manateeschools.net.
• Mail submissions to the School District of Manatee County at P.O. Box 9069, Bradenton, FL 34206.
• Personally deliver submissions to the School Support Center at 215 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.

District officials will present the school board with a list of nominations at the April 23 workshop, and a public hearing is scheduled for the board’s May 14 meeting, when board members will finalize the name.

Nominations will remain open during the final hearing next month.

This story was originally published April 11, 2019 at 1:19 PM.