BRADENTON -- <br /><br />The chief financial officer of the Manatee County School District is stepping down.<br /><br />Michael Boyer submitted a resignation letter to district officials in which he said he would be stepping down effective Friday, June 27.  <br /><br />"I never thought I would ever leave what is now positioned to be a very great school district, but when the opportunity arose to pursue a new opportunity, I simply had to take advantage of it," Boyer wrote in his resignation letter.<br /><br />Boyer has served as the school district's CFO since April 2012.  Prior to that, he had worked as CFO for Crane Environmental in Venice, Fla., and as Assistant Controller at Cott Beverages in Tampa.<br /><br />Don Hall, the district's Deputy Supervisor of Operations, said school officials will immediately begin searching for Boyer's replacement.  <br /><br />Hall said the district will seek advice from former school district CFOs to assist in closing the books for the current school year, and if necessary, the district will enlist an interim CFO to help with the transition.<br /><br />“We are very confident that the Manatee District is heading in the right direction to return this district to a state of financial health and stability,” Mr. Hall said. “We will make the necessary adjustments in light of Mr. Boyer’s resignation and continue to build on the progress we have made so that we can ultimately reinvest in our students and employees