Principal of Tara Elementary School leaving for Sarasota County job
BRADENTON -- Manatee County's most recent state finalist for principal of the year is leaving the school district for a job in Sarasota.
Steve Royce, the principal of Tara Elementary School since 2012, has been appointed principal of Gocio Elementary School in Sarasota County, Sarasota officials announced Thursday. The appointment is effective June 14, and Royce is replacing Pamela Buchanan, who is retiring.
He started his career in education in the Manatee County School District in 1994 as a teacher at Harlee Middle School. While there, he started the first school-based Boys & Girls Club in Manatee County. He subsequently served as assistant principal at Palma Sola, Stewart, Ballard and Daughtrey elementary schools.
At Tara, he raised the school grade from a C to an A in one year, and was named a state finalist for principal of the year this year.
When named a finalist, Royce was touted for setting high expectations for students and adults, engaging community partners to enhance the academic experience for his students and improving the school grade from a C to a B -- based on 2014-15 simulated school grades -- and achieving the highest numeric grade in its history.
In Sarasota, Royce will be paid $98,125 per year. Royce was paid $75,950 by the Manatee County school district during the 2014-15 year, the latest data available.
Royce's move from Manatee County increase the number of open principal spots in the district from four to five.
A community forum for principal candidates at Tara is scheduled for 6 to 7:30 p.m. Friday at the school, on Linger Lodge Road, district spokesman Mike Barber said. Principal candidates at Tara include: Stewart Elementary Assistant Principal Joe Hougland; Freedom Elementary Assistant Principal Laura Campbell; and Palma Sola Elementary Assistant Principal Kaththea Johnson.
Manatee is in the process of hiring new principals for Stewart Elementary, Daughtrey Elementary, Ballard Elementary and Buffalo Creek Middle, as well. District officials hope to announce principals for those positions on Monday, Barber said.
Community forums were held earlier this week for those schools, where staff and members of the community could interview the finalists for the positions.
The finalists at Stewart were Hougland, Campbell and Johnson, the same candidates at Tara.
The finalists at Daughtrey were Tillman Elementary Assistant Principal Ruby Zickafoose, Daughtrey Assistant Principal Lisa Heathcote and Interlachen High School Principal Thomas Bolling. Interlachen High School is in Putnam County.
The finalists at Ballard were Campbell, Zickafoose and Bayshore Elementary Assistant Principal Mike Masiello.
The finalists at Buffalo Creek Middle were Buffalo Creek Assistant Principal Bradley Scarborough, Palmetto High Assistant Principal Dustin Dahlquist and Manatee High Assistant Principal Laurie Breslin.
Meghin Delaney, education reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7081. Follow her on Twitter@MeghinDelaney.
This story was originally published May 12, 2016 at 1:33 PM with the headline "Principal of Tara Elementary School leaving for Sarasota County job ."