Air Force veteran Richard Tatem challenging James Golden for Manatee School Board seat

Manatee School Board candidate Richard Tatem, who is challenging incumbent James Golden in this year’s election, says if he is elected he will focus on building trust between to the school board and the community “by maximizing the transparency of school system operations and finances.”

That has been a frequent refrain in recent years of school board members and other school district critics as the district worked to restore its finances, and its credibility in the wake of a financial meltdown almost a decade ago. Arguably, the district’s comeback was complete when voters in 2018 and again last year, approved a special property tax to pay for higher teacher salaries and other programs.

Still, many say more needs to be done to hold the school district accountable — a sentiment that Tatem hopes will carry him to victory at the polls.