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.