Manatee School of Arts & Sciences

“Manatee school's offer raises eyebrows.” FOX 13 News, 10/9/2012 -

Sure, most kids love video games, but you don't see many schools encouraging them, much less buying them for students.

But that's just what a charter school in Manatee County is doing. Over the last two years, enrollment at the Manatee School of Arts and Sciences has dropped by nearly 40 percent.

So six weeks into the new school year, they ran an ad in the Bradenton Herald, offering what some call a bribe -- switch schools by Thursday and get a free Nintendo DS, one of the most popular gaming devices for kids...

[Julie Aranibar, a Manatee County School Board Member] sits on the Charter Review Committee, and says the offer's timing is suspicious, enticing kids to switch before Monday, when final student counts determine how much money schools get from the state...

The school's principal did not return FOX 13's calls Tuesday.

State officials say some schools have offered students incentives – including cash -- to do better on tests like the FCAT, but not for boosting enrollment.