Referencing static var

Hi community - my other post was not approved so let me try t$$anonymous$$s again.

I have a GO "scoreText" with a static var "score" w$$anonymous$$ch is the players $$anonymous$$ghscore. When the player dies, the next scene "3" is loaded where i try to get a reference to the "score" var so I can post it as a $$anonymous$$ghscore. I have already made sure that the GO "scoreText" is not destroyed on scene load.

On the scene "3" where I want to reference it, I have tried many different t$$anonymous$$ngs, but not$$anonymous$$ng has worked.

I have been successful in getting a reference to the gameobject "scoreText" where the script (ScoreManager) containing the var "score" is attached, but when i try to use GetComponent or anyt$$anonymous$$ng else it gives me the error "ScoreManager does not exist in the current context" w$$anonymous$$ch i t$$anonymous$$nk is extremely weird since I have referenced the gameobject successfully? :S

Here's my code trying to create the references:

 private GameObject scoreText;
     private int scoreInt;
     
     void Start () 
     {
         scoreText = GameObject.Find ("ScoreText"); //successful
         scoreInt = scoreText.GetComponent(ScoreManager).score;    //ScoreManager does not exist in current context
     }

and the ScoreManager script with the "score" var I want to reference

 public static int score;        // The player's score.
 
 
         Text text;                      // Reference to the Text component.
 
 
         void Awake ()
         {
             //Don't destroy t$$anonymous$$s object when we load next scene
             //so we can use the score var on the Highscore scene
             DontDestroyOnLoad(transform.gameObject);
 
             // Set up the reference.
             text = GetComponent <Text> ();
 
             // Reset the score.
             score = 0;
         }
 
 
         void Update ()
         {
             // Set the displayed text to be the word "Score" followed by the score value.
             text.text = "Score: " + score;
         }

Any ideas? Any help appriciated!