Manatee School For The Arts
Resources
Manatee School For the Arts is here to serve our entire community. Whether it is in the classroom or another related service, please reach out to us for support.
Main Programs Offered
Music
The Music Department at Manatee School For the Arts thrives on providing a personalized learning environment to foster meaningful cultural experiences in the performance.
Dance
The Dance department at MSA is dedicated to providing students a thorough and broad based pre-professional training program to develop the competence and maturity required in order to pursue the art of dance.
Theater
The Theatre program at Manatee School For the Arts is designed to develop students’ talents to their fullest potential and encourage professionalism in all levels and all areas of theatrical work.
Digital Arts
Have you ever wondered what it would be like on the other side of the camera? How about creating the perfect digital code? Could you imagine being immersed in your very own video game? The Digital Arts Department has the tools to answer these very questions.
Visual Arts
The Visual Arts Department at Manatee School For the Arts provides something for everyone! Introductory classes for new students or those without prior arts training, at both the middle and high school level, offer the chance to learn the fundamental concepts.
Academics
MSA is a school that believes in providing lots of opportunities and choices for all students in grades 6-12. We understand that all students learn in different ways and have varied interests and future goals. We support all levels depending on student needs.
Enrollment and Hours
Students are accepted from Manatee, Sarasota, Hillsborough, and Pinellas counties. Middle School students are accepted on a first come, first serve basis, and subject to class size limits and ESE parameters required by the student, yet within the MSA Charter guidelines. Space is limited. High School applicants are chosen through an interview/audition with our staff. Students at the High School level should demonstrate a desire for higher level studies in one of the arts: Visual Art, Digital Art, Theatre, Music, or Dance.
- Grades: 6-12
- Middle School Class Size Average: 22:1
- High School Class Size Average: 25:1
- Enrollment: 1900 students
- 9:45 AM - 4:35 PM
- 8:10 AM - 2:55 PM
Visitors to the School
Parents and visitors are welcome to visit our school campus but must be approved by administration. If a visitor is expected, the front desk must be notified. All visitors to the school should be dressed appropriately.
All visitors must check in at the front desk, and no visitor will be allowed into the school without a visitor’s pass. A valid I.D. is required to enter the school and used for the required background check through our visitor management software. This policy applies to vendors and contractors as well.
All visitors must wear a visitor’s badge while in the building and be escorted to their end point by a staff member. There are no exceptions to this policy. If someone is found in the school who does not meet these criteria, they will be addressed by school administrators and school guardians and escorted to the front desk immediately. Visitors leaving the campus must sign out and exit through the front office only, where they will return the sticker I.D. It is critical that everyone follow these procedures. This policy will be strictly enforced.
Admissions Overview
Manatee School For the Arts is a public charter middle and high school located in Manatee county. The school is open to middle and high school students in Manatee, Sarasota, Pinellas, and Hillsborough counties. Applications are required before enrollment, and high school students are required to audition for placement in our advanced programs (available seats) Applications are made available in January of each year for enrollment in the following school year. We are not a part of school-choice so you can apply anytime! The application for MSA is available paper-based or apply online now.
Middle School Application
High School Application
Educational Records Release Form
Students completing the application, you will be required to:
- Complete all basic demographic information
- High School Students must submit an essay stating why they feel that MSA is a good fit for their High School career.
- Supply any 504 or IEP plans that a student has
After being accepted to MSA, parents must:
- Complete registration paperwork
- Provide proof of residence
- Provide shot records if previously out of county or entering 7th grade
- Complete course selection process
Communication and Parent Involvement
Parent / Student Contracts
Required standards of excellence for communication, behavior, and work ethics.
School website
contains upcoming events, electronic copies of parent updates and school newsletters, schedules, the school calendar, and links to many other useful resources within and outside the school.
Parent E-mail Updates
is a bi-weekly e-mail update sent to parents for whom we have current e-mail addresses for. Items in this update will include school events ongoing, reminders, and other important information about the school.
Parent/Teacher Organization/Department Boosters
We are looking for volunteers to get our PTO program going! If you are interested in being a Parent Volunteer Leader, or would just like to donate towards the program email Ms. Hillman at khillman@msaschool.org. We would LOVE to have you.
Gradebook Portal
is an online service for parents and students to track their progress. (Activation codes are supplied to each family at the beginning of the year.