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.