Hendry County Schools leaders presented a draft update to the district’s strategic plan at a town-hall meeting and invited parents and community members to give feedback through an online survey and a newly formed District Advisory Council.

Superintendent Mike Swindle said the district is seeking community input as it updates the 2021–2024 plan into a 2025–2028 strategic plan and emphasized the administration’s goal of closer community engagement. “We want you to see it, hear it, and we want you to engage in it,” Deputy Superintendent Dr. Angela Sadie told attendees as she described the draft and the outreach process.

Why it matters: The strategic plan sets goals and measurable targets for student safety, achievement, school culture and fiscal stewardship. District officials described the update as a “living, breathing document” that will change when progress is made and said public feedback is a required and planned step before finalizing the plan.

District staff described the outreach steps: district leadership drafted revisions from the prior plan, principals and school staff reviewed and provided feedback via Google Forms, the school board reviewed the draft, and the final public-input step is the community engagement now underway. The district is collecting responses through a QR code and an online survey posted on the district’s Facebook and YouTube channels; staff said the bottom of the survey lets respondents give contact information to volunteer for the advisory council.

Dr. Sadie and other staff said the plan’s goals are not ranked; instead each priority (for example, academic achievement, safety and fiscal stewardship) is treated as equally important and will carry specific metrics. The presentation listed specific targets such as reducing incidents reported to the state’s school safety reporting system by 10% annually and raising proficiency targets on state assessments.

District staff said the District Advisory Council will meet quarterly (three or four times per year) and will review items including the strategic plan and calendar changes; staff invited attendees to sign up at the meeting or via the online form. Mr. Munoz (district staff) and other staff explained that the council and surveys will be a formal channel for community voice on topics the district must decide, including school start times.

Discussion vs. decision: Officials characterized the steps as information-gathering and public engagement. No formal policy was adopted at the meeting; staff said next steps are to collect survey responses and schedule advisory-council meetings.

Practical details: The district asked participants to use the QR code or the survey link and said staff will follow up with those who provide contact information. Staff also offered in-person sign-up at district offices for residents who could not attend the meeting.