[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6256989,"mediaKeyId","3155134-33b5298a44a04e2136fd2a435df6c790","parentId",3155134,"title","Hendry County Schools invites parents to district advisory council; QR-code form and quarterly meetings announced","audioSeconds",513,"startMs",4151000,"endMs",4664000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3155134-33b5298a44a04e2136fd2a435df6c790&start=4151&end=4664","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3155134-33b5298a44a04e2136fd2a435df6c790/thumbnail_4151000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6256989/Florida/Hendry-County-Schools-invites-parents-to-district-advisory-council-QR-code-form-and-quarterly-meetings-announced","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6256989-e01c4a95bc4f0aef6b6f5f842dd666c9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770913973&Signature=MaLXWJfkN7rOURNX1FfH1qSaK0MkLmRR-xLlh6ijd0caX0wKNdCGNmHhvy0Wp6aYHMPt0q6cX8hqu2a8HToGq0nxcJCxhj86ULm6hEMjBwp1to-yXreUVo7ZcLYiuM~cCGUzNAZRuReXzQg83YWFxwyrXpZDqCdSC2aeytzWCAT1vCG3O1sqMsaKNedZQ93D4lZ9Jq6Z523jcbFI3kzvDv7Z8itZKFsRjbGxyKd491A08Lp5j8QVjfCGAduBsqvpH8Ft1MEYNd8nWw2NKaWehX0ArBPSrvbuhelBfwoiCe4aqkpLieIPzrcGyA2E3sCJBU0-Zj8II3O7afBFuTnc3Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Hendry County School District","date","2025-04-30T00:00:00Z","article","Hendry County Schools officials asked parents and residents at a LaBelle town-hall to sign up for a consolidated district advisory council that will provide stakeholder input on the draft strategic plan and several required district plans.

Assistant director Rosa Perez and director of student services Lynette White described the plan to combine multiple stakeholder committees — including parent‑family engagement, ELL, migrant recruitment, homeless strategies, student progression, code of conduct and special‑education inclusion practices — into a single district advisory council. Perez said the district will accept signups in person and electronically.

Nut graf: District staff said the consolidated advisory council will meet quarterly, provide input on required plans (including accreditation-related plans and school improvement plans), and streamline parent participation so one volunteer group can advise multiple district efforts.

Attendees were shown QR codes that link to an online Google form in English and Spanish; staff said the form includes about 20 questions, an open feedback box and a place to add contact information for follow-up. Staff said respondents must enter an email address to submit the form so the district can follow up; the forum responses themselves are otherwise treated as anonymous feedback.

Ending: Officials circulated a paper sign-up and encouraged people who could not stay to fill the online form. The district said it will post meeting dates and additional information for volunteers and stakeholders who want to join advisory work.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Hendry County School District Live Stream 2025-04-30","oneSentenceSummary","District staff asked residents to join a new consolidated district advisory council that will review the strategic plan, ELL, parent-family engagement, migrant and other required plans. Officials provided QR codes and an online form for signups and feedback and said meetings will be quarterly.","taxTitle","Hendry, School Districts, Florida","taxId",15382,"location","Florida","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6256994,"Hendry County Schools keep 2025–26 calendar; community feedback sought on state-backed later start-times for 2026–27",297,3696000,3993000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3155134-33b5298a44a04e2136fd2a435df6c790&start=3696&end=3993","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3155134-33b5298a44a04e2136fd2a435df6c790/thumbnail_3696000.jpg","/articles/6256994/Florida/Hendry-County-Schools-keep-202526-calendar-community-feedback-sought-on-state-backed-later-start-times-for-202627","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6256994-73ae6f9fc35fa200516950af4693a94a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770913973&Signature=HpgrS5J2UGx-kfeaaNGqu8S2BrXh6X9GBFLInewmD-G2ceS84EDf-i7xkaTSnF~Sw6ASfInfn8cggjkvcRi2pLBl~tVkAUvUchVOM6MUaqTQWWQEVs~IvleUZw4hV4IFvPltjDZtrql5MQP8RvFjPz5D6rnd8YrVrS7ITPiQ-iKlKJB5Zosk1B-7FZsv4yxB3TRW9nD30dDJutaXXl9lAdXp4MSmlzC8OMjJ45CyVv7QVddWvjFNsmFIyyWPb45oNz645AiEKcyqKmH2NJZ8PltUuVqlnnAiXbQP54-hdIbvqQBYGbD3b6qeJAjvqvF~mVk1W9mxF~lJk~AvH5z8eA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Hendry County Schools officials told parents at a LaBelle meeting that the district’s calendar and bell times for the 2025–26 school year are finalized and school-board approved, but staff solicited community input on a Florida legislative change that recommends later secondary start times in 2026–27.

A district official said, regarding the 2025–26 calendar: “The school calendar is official ... these are our school times for next year.” The district’s calendar change for 2025–26 does include a new fall break in October and minor adjustments to start/stop times intended to lengthen early‑grade days and stagger dismissals to reduce bus wait times.

Nut graf: State lawmakers have set guidance that, beginning in the 2026–27 school year, middle schools should start no earlier than 8:00 a.m. and high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m.; districts may seek community input and, in some cases, opt out. District leaders described trade-offs: later secondary start times could push elementary start times earlier, complicate parent drop‑off and after‑school care arrangements, and affect evening athletic schedules and student work commitments.

Deputy Superintendent Angela Staley said the lawmakers’ rationale was that older teenagers benefit from later start times, but staff noted local concerns about younger students starting earlier, reliance on older siblings for after‑school supervision, and scheduling impacts for athletics and work. Coaches and parents in the meeting said later secondary dismissal times could lengthen evenings and reduce sleep for students who must travel for games or work late.

The district said it will collect community feedback — including through the QR-code survey and online forms — before deciding whether to adopt the later start times for 2026–27. Officials stressed they are working on mitigation, such as early parent drop‑off windows, staggered employee schedules, and limited bus-routing tweaks to reduce morning congestion.

Ending: District leaders encouraged parents and community members to complete the online feedback form or attend upcoming meetings; no final decision on 2026–27 bell schedules was announced at the town hall.

","The district confirmed board‑approved school calendar and bell times for 2025–26 and opened a community discussion on a Florida legislative policy that would set later start times for middle and high schools in 2026–27, while noting family logistics and athletics concerns.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6256999,"Hendry County to build new LaBelle-area high school on Helms Road; district outlines campus moves and $123 million estimate",445,3175000,3620000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3155134-33b5298a44a04e2136fd2a435df6c790&start=3175&end=3620","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3155134-33b5298a44a04e2136fd2a435df6c790/thumbnail_3175000.jpg","/articles/6256999/Florida/Hendry-County-to-build-new-LaBelle-area-high-school-on-Helms-Road-district-outlines-campus-moves-and-123-million-estimate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6256999-650c0292b2362ab49bc2451773cdbe9e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770913973&Signature=a7qU1VRJTU~wWTBND0PzLsx3RgzaL9RUYa~utyc97itqNV5uNIWHKBLT8D2JxiSovqjKwz9wQcoPNjKobcSYkk7rO6kMHXBaQJU3mE1-VLVGdxkHopX61L8TxsRFrKQJtpL1Si5cr3C-6WRVN6VoSqL6j7aiHDJV-CmIMM63JHdOAqmvAAEexKKJmifVeNc~wjL-QuAfDRC6ScB4t1i49VMurnUlF94RTQjQeH3P~1hOCSOdc~DL-8OyES73qXlBdtmH1EPGKKl7fWWibukT7tIzMVE8Dktls4bbWYid~FnGDnXbJNDG-wwuYOs3ZTssENsekXOIHJiZIavknn8bMQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Hendry County Schools officials told parents at a LaBelle town-hall that the district has purchased 80 acres on Helms Road and plans to build a new comprehensive high school expected to serve students beginning in the 2026–27 school year.

Tony Bussing, director of facilities and maintenance, described the property acquisition and the construction timeline: site work was expected to begin in late June or early July, and officials said they hoped to have walls up within a year. “We bought 80 acres on Helms Road,” Bussing said.

Nut graf: The project is the district’s first new high-school construction in about 25–30 years, district leaders said. Officials presented a campus‑reconfiguration plan that moves LaBelle Middle School into the existing LaBelle High School campus, consolidates LaBelle Elementary and Uppner Grove Elementary into one site, creates a pre‑K center at the Uppner Grove location and centralizes district offices on the consolidated campus. The district projected the new-construction price at about $123,000,000.

Swindle said the existing LaBelle High School campus currently serves about 1,400 students in facilities built for roughly 950 and that the campus currently uses about 32 portable classrooms. District staff said the new campus will include CTE (career and technical education) programs and other modern facilities.

Officials described an implementation timeline: construction and site work this summer, continued campus moves when the new high school opens (district staff said those moves could take up to a year), and a planned groundbreaking with board members when school resumes in late August or early September.

The district said bond financing, state facilities programs and local funding will be part of the financing plan; officials gave a project estimate of about $123,000,000 total but did not present a final financing resolution at the town-hall.

Ending: District staff invited the public to attend a planned groundbreaking and said they will continue to share updates on schedules, traffic and impacts to individual schools as the project advances.

","District officials said they have bought 80 acres on Helms Road and plan to open a new high school in the 2026–27 school year, move LaBelle Middle School into the existing high-school campus, consolidate two elementary campuses and create a pre-K center and single district headquarters.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6257004,"Hendry County Schools present draft strategic plan and cite multi-year academic gains at LaBelle town hall",2298,828000,3126000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3155134-33b5298a44a04e2136fd2a435df6c790&start=828&end=3126","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3155134-33b5298a44a04e2136fd2a435df6c790/thumbnail_828000.jpg","/articles/6257004/Florida/Hendry-County-Schools-present-draft-strategic-plan-and-cite-multi-year-academic-gains-at-LaBelle-town-hall","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6257004-ba1b93d6f947560e40bc1fefb766988e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770913973&Signature=QcpsYfQeaP8~h-FMm78fBnTBT7Yy7J4rtw7CiqaMPio8GkU2t4ds5xotrqmeFvfEdmr8jYRPEvWv6ZGxRI1-zKDeoWl2TaGEjgViuWtvrJnjNXpdnCGIQpX7~Xeg82~jZaslJZwmNoQru338ToMURMa67UHmF1BlDiDqXzkgmDJcfmaw6uNSkKVolWHVQgcb3EZCy7SGmnBPxz6yNOnYdki0spL~qT-9fQy-8C-TYRCyCcTLpGStuyNT7xft46MAw6sIb-nnEHmVm0iC1ssGRMMfows22flbJkQxV1XK58fJTedzbWC8FZcA3-ftkAxIbmGkXPpbed0H-tzWxtaK8Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Hendry County Schools leaders on Saturday presented a draft strategic plan, described multi-year academic gains and asked parents and residents at a LaBelle town-hall meeting to provide feedback.

Superintendent Mike Swindle opened the meeting and described the session’s purpose as outreach and community input. “The purpose of why we’re here is to reach out to the community to kinda give some updates on where we are,” he said. Deputy Superintendent Angela Staley told the audience, “We are seeking input,” and walked attendees through the draft document.

The nut graf: District leaders said the plan ties spending and agenda items to six priority goal areas — including safety and security, academic achievement, school culture, teacher recruitment and retention, family and community engagement, and fiscal stewardship — and that the draft will be revised after the town-hall feedback.

Officials presented data they said show overall upward trends on state assessments and graduation rates. The district reported roughly 7,600 students and a current operating budget of about $236,000,000, with \"roughly 80% of that is salaries,\" Swindle said. District presenters highlighted gains in reading and math learning gains, increases in middle-school acceleration and industry certifications, and a graduation rate that district staff said rose from about 81 percent to about 85 percent for the most recent reported cohort.

District educators credited sustained professional development and a calendar that includes half-day staff development sessions with much of the progress. “There’s only two ways that you improve schools,” a district presenter said: hire great teachers or develop and coach the teachers you have. Staff described quarterly instructional reviews in which district leaders visit schools, observe classrooms and work with principals on data and supports.

Officials warned the audience that pandemic-era supplemental funding had been used strategically and will decline. Swindle said the district invested money “to change the practices so that we get better outcomes,” and that the funding cliff was anticipated. He and other staff said some strategies are embedded and intended to continue without the temporary grants.

Several parents and residents who spoke in the meeting praised the district’s work and cited individual student gains. One parent said a child with autism made “a 215% improvement this year,” and parents described increased confidence in school supports.

Discussion (not action) included whether the district should pursue higher participation in surveys and how to sustain staffing and instruction without temporary federal and state relief funds. District leaders said recruiting qualified teachers remains challenging; Swindle said many recent hires were career changers, military veterans or otherwise non‑traditional candidates.

Ending: Staff asked attendees to use QR codes provided in the room or an online form to submit written feedback on the draft plan. District leaders said they will collect input from the town halls, revise the draft and circulate the updated plan to stakeholders.

","Superintendent Mike Swindle and district leaders presented a draft strategic plan, reviewed recent test-score trends and graduation-rate improvements, and sought public input at a LaBelle town-hall meeting. Officials emphasized teacher recruitment, professional development and sustaining gains after pandemic-era supplemental funding ends.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Hendry County Schools invites parents to district advisory council; QR-code form and quarterly meetings announced

Hendry County Schools keep 2025–26 calendar; community feedback sought on state-backed later start-times for 2026–27

Hendry County to build new LaBelle-area high school on Helms Road; district outlines campus moves and $123 million estimate

Hendry County Schools present draft strategic plan and cite multi-year academic gains at LaBelle town hall