Gene Witt Elementary School

200 Rye Road East

School District

Manatee
Grade

PK, K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:15
Type

public

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on December 15, 2023

My daughters have attended Witt since kindergarten. We have had nothing but a positive experience. The teachers are engaged and passionate about teaching. Both of my girls have high scores on the FAST test so I know they are understanding the core concepts that they need to be successful in middle school. Thank you teachers and administrators at Gene Witt.
Submitted by parent on February 16, 2023

Best public ES I've ever seen! As close to a private prep school as you can get.
Submitted by parent on August 25, 2021

Absolutely horrible! I would NEVER recommend Gene Witt Elementary! It all starts with Principal David Marshall! NO communication with the “non-enrolling” parent whatsoever in joint custody situations! You will have to beg and plead for information, updates on education etc… with this school. You’ll be told, if you want information directly from the school, to go to an app. Does the enrolling parent need to do this? No! Why am I so frustrated? Because this is going on my 5th year of dealing with this ridiculousness! I am SO disappointed and aggravated!!! I cannot express this enough!*****UPDATE-8.23.2021*****I found out tonight that one of my children’s classmates, whom sits directly next to my child apparently, tested positive for COVID last Friday(8.20.2021). So the school called me to inform me, right? Nope! No call from the school whatsoever! I found out 3rd party! Did the enrolling parent get notified then? Yes! I’m told yes, they did! So Gene Witt, know that I picked up my children on Friday. Know that they were around my mother for the first time in quite some time BECAUSE of COVID. Know that my mother is at very high risk of COVID! So now, not only do you show me you do not care about the best interests of my children, you do not care about any other member of my family. If you did, you would contact BOTH parents! Especially after my MANY requests EVERY YEAR!!!
Submitted by parent on April 16, 2019

I believe some teachers don’t know how to deal with different students behavior and they pick sides. They also fed my child pancake for lunch. They make it difficult because the teachers don’t know how to deal with different students behavior. I really think that the bullying here are the teachers and all they do is write referrals and suspend students!!!! This is the worse school ever the bullying here
Submitted by parent on December 20, 2018

Horrible. I would never recommend anyone to send there child there
Submitted by parent on July 27, 2017

We started at Gene Witt midway through Kindergarten. We LOVE the staff and the school. The parents are very involved and PTO is amazing.
Submitted by parent on May 27, 2016

Love this school! We have been in this school for 5yrs with one daughter gone through it and one still there. The teachers and faculty have been great, everyone is so friendly and attentive. The teachers are very dedicated and work closely with parents. Every teacher I have met has been just awesome, they really care for their students and encourage them. The school host quite a few activities through out the year from father daughter dances to winter wonderland fest. One of the best schools in manatee county!
Submitted by parent on July 30, 2015

Since the new principal came on board, this school has really gone bad fast. Not happy at all. Lines for drop off are horrific, principal does nothing to help. Morale of most staff not good. Getting my kid out this year.
Submitted by parent on November 20, 2014

We absolutely love this school and cannot say enough good things about it. My son has been going here since Pre-K. He is now in 5th grade and I'm a little sad that this is his last year here. Every teacher that he has had is phenomenal, and I feel that they really do care about my son as an individual and that they want him to succeed. More importantly, my son really enjoys going to school here, the teachers and the after-school clubs and homework help.
Submitted by parent on October 06, 2014

We arrived in the area in the middle of the school year (Jan 2014) and we were all nervous!! Everyone at Witt welcomed us and most especially our daughter with open arms. The teachers have been wonderful and the PTO is also really wonderful. There seems to be quite a bit of parent involvement which is great and there is even at fathers group that works on projects around the school. Our daughter was an honor roll student when we arrived and that level has been maintained and she is continuously challenged. There was a change of principals but it seems to have been seamless so there is still strong leadership coming from the front office. We couldn't be happier!!
Submitted by parent on August 22, 2014

Gene Witt is a phenomenal school! My son has gone to Pre-K there for two years (one year for a speech Pre-K) and both teachers he had were wonderful! Now he is in Kindergarten and he LOVES it! My daughter is now in Pre-K there and she loves it too. Everyone that I have met there are so friendly and helpful. There is not one person that works there that I do not love. The parents are very much involved as well. We are so proud to be part of the Gene Witt family (:
Submitted by parent on May 15, 2013

Gene Witt is a wonderful elementary school! My oldest is finishing the 5th grade and my youngest is in kindergarten. The teachers are wonderful here and definitely prepare the students to move on to middle school. They have really helped my son get the extra help he needed and he is now a Honor Roll student. The school has great parent involvement and a super PTO. I wouldn't think of sending my kids anywhere else.
Submitted by parent on May 13, 2013

My two children attend Gene Witt Elementary. It is one of the best schools in the county. I would highly recommend it. The teachers are great. The principal and her Staff are wonderful. I can not say enough. The parent involvement is good could always be better, anywhere you go. Wouldn't it be nice if we all cared so much.
Submitted by parent on November 04, 2011

My daughter is a student at Gene Witt and we are very pleased! The teachers are wonderful and the families are very involved with the school which makes all the difference. With schools struggling with budgetary problems etc they really gain from families who care enough to volunteer and help raise money for the school. We had several choices and are very please we picked Gene Witt. Overall we have no complaints.