School District Announces Administrative Changes

BRADENTON – The School District of Manatee County recently announced additional administrative changes for the 2022-2023 school year. The new positions below are scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2022, after being approved by the Manatee County School Board at Tuesday's meeting.

"We have a very strong group of educators who are stepping into significant roles in our school district and I look forward to watching them grow and develop their leadership skills,“ said Superintendent Cynthia Saunders.

Ms. Brown came to Manatee County 8 years ago and served as an Assistant Principal at Ballard and Bashaw Elementary Schools. She taught third grade in Perry, Florida as well as served as a Dean of Students. She earned her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education from Flagler University and earned a Masters in Educational Leadership from Florida A&M University. She is currently working towards a doctorate from North Central University in Curriculum and Instruction.

Dr. Lundy has served the district in various capacities as the Director of Professional Learning, Director of Secondary Curriculum, Assistant Principal, Curriculum and Instructional Specialist, Literacy Coach and teacher. She is a graduate from the University of South Florida where she earned her degree in Elementary Education, Master’s degree in Reading and Educational Leadership, and Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction. She is also an adjunct professor for the University of South Florida.

Ms. Peregoff has served the district as a Labor Relations Manager and Assistant Director of Human Resources for a year-and-a-half. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English at McDaniel College, Master’s degree in Human Resources from Cornell University, and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Baltimore. She currently holds the HR certification, SHRM-SCP, and has served as an executive board member of the local SHRA Human Resources Organization.

Mr. Edwards is a product of Manatee County schools and a graduate of Southeast High. He has served as the Assistant Director at Manatee Technical College since 2016 where he assists with recruitment, retention, and outreach. Prior to that, he was the Principal at Horizon’s Academy from 2013 to 2016, Principal at Central High School from 2007 to 2009, and Principal at Johnson Middle School from 2009 to 2013. He joined the district in 1999 as a counselor at Manatee Technical Institute. Mr. Edwards has a Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership from National Louis University.

Ms. Nichols has served as the English Language Arts Curriculum Coordinator for the School District of Manatee County from July 2021, to the present. Prior to that she worked for the Florida Department of Education as a State Regional Literacy Director for "Just Read FL!“ From 2014 to 2020, she served as a K-5 ELA Specialist in the Manatee District. She also served as a District Literacy Coach in Pinellas County Schools from 2011 to 2014. Ms. Nichols has a Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Florida.

Ms. Fleming has served as the Assistant Principal of Curriculum at Booker High School in Sarasota from 2021 to the present. Prior to that, she served as an Assistant Principal at Booker from 2018 to 2021, and as a Mathematics Program Specialist for Sarasota County Schools from 2017 to 2018. From 2012 to 2017, Ms. Fleming was a mathematics teacher in the School District of Manatee County serving at Palmetto High and Buffalo Creek Middle. Ms. Fleming has a Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership from the University of South Florida.

Ms. Gil served as a Student Support Specialist at Rogers Garden-Bullock Elementary from 2021 to the present. She also served as Dean of Students at IB School Parkway Middle in Kissimmee from 2018 to 2019 and she was a Spanish teacher for Florida Virtual School from 2015 to 2018.

Ms. Kennedy served as a Reading Coach at Bayshore Elementary from 2019 to the present. Prior to that, she served as a Student Support Specialist at Manatee Elementary. She also served as a teacher at Samoset Elementary from 2013 to 2018.

Mr. Baker served as a Student Support Specialist at Abel Elementary from 2020 to the present. He also served as a Student Support Specialist at Rogers Garden-Bullock from 2017 to 2020. Mr. Baker started with the district as a paraprofessional at Southeast High in 2013.

Ms. Caldwell served as a Student Support Specialist at Moody Elementary from 2021 to the present. She also served as a math teacher at King Middle School from 2019 to 2021. She also previously served as a fourth-grade teacher at Mills Elementary from 2004 to 2013.

Ms. Whightsel served as a Student Support Specialist at Harvey Elementary from 2019 to the present. She was also a Student Support Specialist at Braden River Elementary. Prior to that, she taught at Mills Elementary from 2013 to 2018.

Ms. Santora served as a Curriculum/Instructional Specialist with the district from 2020 to the present. She was a teacher in the Manatee District from 2011 to 2020. Prior to coming to Manatee County, she taught in Hillsborough County from 2008 to 2011.

Ms. Keats served as the District Mathematics Coordinator for K-5 from 2018 to the present. From 2017 to 2018, she was a fourth and fifth-grade teacher at Alta Vista Elementary School in Sarasota. She also served as a District Elementary K-5 Mathematics Specialist in Middletown Township Public Schools in New Jersey from 2012 to 2017.

Ms. Campbell is transferring as an Assistant Principal from Bayshore Elementary, where she served this school year, to Sea Breeze Elementary. Prior to Bayshore, she was an Assistant Principal at Oneco Elementary from 2018 to 2021. Ms. Campbell also taught at Tara from 1998 to 2007.

Ms. Gehlot has served as the Administrative Dean at Southeast High from 2018 to the present. Prior to that, she was a Testing Coordinator at Braden River High from 2017 to 2018 and a high school science teacher at Horizons Academy from 2014 to 2017. From 2005 to 2013, Ms. Gehlot was a science teacher at Ocoee High School in Orange County, Florida.

Mr. Bellantonio has served as a Dean at Lakewood Ranch High from 2019 to the present. Prior to that, he was a social studies teacher at Braden River High from 2016 to 2019, and at Buffalo Creek Middle from 2013 to 2016. He is fluent in Spanish and served as a Career Counselor and Adult Education teacher at Manatee Technical College from 2010 to 2013.

Mr. Perez has served as Dean of Students at Palmetto High from 2019 to the present. Prior to that he was a Spanish teacher at Manatee High from 2012 to 2019 and he has also served as an SAT and ACT Test Coordinator for the district since 2013. He is Bilingual and worked as a Spanish teacher at Palmetto Charter School from 2011 to 2012.