[{"_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",6256990,"mediaKeyId","3155133-ea936438b208eeff632d03709723586c","parentId",3155133,"title","Teacher at LaBelle campus tells town hall long-serving staff feel pay inequities amid small raises and sign-on bonuses","audioSeconds",339,"startMs",4901000,"endMs",5240000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3155133-ea936438b208eeff632d03709723586c&start=4901&end=5240","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3155133-ea936438b208eeff632d03709723586c/thumbnail_4901000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6256990/Florida/Teacher-at-LaBelle-campus-tells-town-hall-long-serving-staff-feel-pay-inequities-amid-small-raises-and-sign-on-bonuses","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6256990-5cbbd0fecbfb4402928b8f8ea448d1c9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771149047&Signature=k3QDL4I3B8BuBTv8xkD-XeEm9fhGNtqgbcVPzwWQM5fZEUTJUvv7tSUjuZzxZsPrCQV0t4i7Pzd6PzaLfltMGH-8KQ3T04s-BULfKdqU6~PcmbwWbn2Qk9jcLn7QdmjQJw7FZKB7Ex5Nlz-BWtFyf699s7ZeDyUfq6kCOHokJ2OJvYUUKY1syMdbIdFsCFJhfDKBnSphtNjUzvKBk0yFc3Mz7Lto3QZ6m9v1gYqFvH79KSqTBBhzk5hHqxlHTFpEPLfsy1oAABwZKqv8-7Cq8mks9Y9iNdts1-gp3X6F5PpnXlJ-d4wkvMRNH9y4yfspHK9BiKC6iVoNoU~pilVG6Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Hendry County School District","date","2025-04-29T00:00:00Z","article","A LaBelle teacher used public comment at a Hendry County Schools town hall to urge action on teacher pay and retention, saying long-serving educators face a growing gap with newer hires who received sign-on bonuses.

The teacher, who identified himself as a LaBelle graduate and a classroom teacher with 11 years at the same school, described salary compression and singled out a $2,500 sign-on bonus given to some newly hired teachers. “It’s a slap in the face,” the teacher said, describing how he earned less than some newer staff despite years of service and performance recognitions.

Superintendent Mike Swindle acknowledged the district does not pay employees what they are worth and described the budgetary constraints. He said roughly 80% of the district’s $236,000,000 operating budget goes to salaries and that the remaining funds must cover operations such as utilities, maintenance and transportation. Swindle said the district is working with the teachers union and has implemented incremental salary adjustments but called full parity a longer-term challenge.

Why it matters: Teacher retention and compensation affect staffing stability and classroom continuity. District staff said teacher recruitment and retention are explicit goals in the strategic plan, and leaders noted they will continue negotiating with the union and seeking incremental improvements within the district’s budgetary limits.

District response and context: Officials described recent, smaller-scale salary changes and a policy approach that prioritizes pushing as much funding as possible into salaries, but they said statutory and budget constraints limit rapid, large-scale increases. The superintendent and staff asked teachers and parents to continue the dialogue and attend upcoming meetings and advisory sessions.

Ending: District leaders invited continued one-on-one follow-up after the meeting and said they plan ongoing talks with the union and staff to address pay and retention concerns.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Hendry County School District Live Stream 2025-04-29","oneSentenceSummary","A long-serving LaBelle teacher told district leaders at a town hall that veteran educators face pay inequities compared with recent hires receiving sign-on bonuses; the superintendent acknowledged budget constraints and said the district is working with the teachers union on incremental improvements.","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},6256996,"Hendry County Schools add October break, tweak start times and stagger bus routes to address staff burnout",611,3752000,4363000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3155133-ea936438b208eeff632d03709723586c&start=3752&end=4363","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3155133-ea936438b208eeff632d03709723586c/thumbnail_3752000.jpg","/articles/6256996/Florida/Hendry-County-Schools-add-October-break-tweak-start-times-and-stagger-bus-routes-to-address-staff-burnout","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6256996-6083d53e9fb1da8467faedb9a5d754ac/orig.mp4?Expires=1771149047&Signature=JwWNslFj0RBD3yaiWxcMLj7eVKjQKBXjMU5CwVqu53zC6UngpSv9fJG5Ev9BR~aOe-uLM7TGjuqqvvAhGHXlnDWA6FiWSH9BoK5qTVFWf841Hq83ocNIs0GWangaJa8X6EtnFtOF3K242ObOlSRzrTI9Lk5cMmRE-ky48CBZc8kbHr9CShgct-2kTWdkS6TSRGUmJx8lHSZvW2rh8lxCcAYrzUaLIjlB4pcQfVf5hUXab16yDUfPL-lLKfWna~Mriyl4r8ah~rED376UxWaH7CF0TArmTGCVR3pZqM5YnS8ffl7dizcowVx0DjKTopdJPkS7axwQWQQNx5N0SHx3zQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Hendry County Schools presented an updated 2025–26 calendar at a LaBelle town hall that adds a one-week October fall break, increases front-loaded professional learning days and adjusts some school start and stop times to stagger bus routes and reduce staff burnout.

District staff said the calendar change preserves the district’s required instructional minutes while giving staff and families more predictable breaks. Officials said the change was developed with a calendar committee that included district leadership and the teachers union (HCEA) and that staff requested a scheduled break at the end of each nine-week period.

“Our staff really was the one who said, we believe that at the end of every 9 weeks having a break would give our students and our staff the ability to say, okay,” a district leader said while explaining the rationale. Meeting presenters also cited teacher burnout and scheduling conflicts as reasons to add predictable breaks so families can plan vacations and reduce ad-hoc absences.

The calendar also preserves almost 10 built-in “hurricane makeup days,” staff said, and maintains state-required total student seat time. Officials said the district adjusted several LaBelle-area start and stop minutes only slightly, while making larger staggered changes on the Clewiston (Clueson) side of the district to space bus arrivals in five-minute increments and allow some schools to add an extended day for early learning centers.

Why it matters: Officials said predictable breaks and professional learning days should increase teacher retention, improve classroom instruction and reduce attendance-related instructional loss. The district said it will monitor academic and attendance data to determine whether the calendar produces the intended effects.

Discussion and oversight: Staff said the calendar committee reviewed multiple options, including four-day weeks and balanced calendars, and chose a model intended to meet local needs without reducing classroom minutes. District leaders said they will evaluate the calendar data each year and adjust the model as needed.

Ending: Officials asked attendees to complete the town-hall survey and promised to review data on academics and attendance to determine whether to keep, tweak or abandon the new calendar approach.","District leaders said the updated 2025–26 calendar adds a fall break, preserves required instructional minutes, staggers elementary start times and builds nearly 10 hurricane make-up days into the schedule to reduce burnout and improve attendance.",{"_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},6257001,"Hendry County to build new LaBelle High School; district expects opening in 2027",303,3470000,3773000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3155133-ea936438b208eeff632d03709723586c&start=3470&end=3773","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3155133-ea936438b208eeff632d03709723586c/thumbnail_3470000.jpg","/articles/6257001/Florida/Hendry-County-to-build-new-LaBelle-High-School-district-expects-opening-in-2027","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6257001-9608615713152956570a4da3ce3750b1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771149047&Signature=nVmB0O4VUsKYG1KmHhftuw9-3lu3hRracDK4rOxjBStlmXeEh~cfkwkKOZ4-qbsOlgXsRR8fuzOxFvvlZdq2tWfNUpMRH9QIOVckewR3eV9u-TT75p2rrouTREKrkd7bcZMQILyLGRF2KionoI3Ybmuo9H2mm3AptvfTWZSJsSMi35659IMn-ywWNh~HKiUtLypyZzyTQH2T6u-5Ad4rc8qcJck3xPMs38skZC7du6nqT7X7MYCgP4CRCDwhjAJr2nWoBiid0m7mWExaiIOprsJEi~tcdll2IhuzmTPRg~XWgGwzx84ljUgvDFDFOiOVpE53U3jFNnaSgTkOFzYGxw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Hendry County Schools officials told a LaBelle town hall the district has secured state facility funding and is building a new comprehensive LaBelle High School designed for about 1,500 students on New Helms Road, with an expected opening for the 2027 school year.

Mr. Busen, the district’s director of maintenance and new construction, said the district’s application to the Florida Department of Education was approved and design work is roughly 50% complete. He said the campus will include career and technical-education classrooms, nursing and science labs, softball and football fields and spaces intended for community use.

“We should have tractors on-site on Thomas Road probably in June. I’m sorry. July. Hopefully, June,” Busen said when asked about heavy equipment mobilization. He said the district is planning to open the new high school for the 2027 school year and hold graduation there for the class the district intends to serve at the new facility.

Why it matters: District officials said this will be the first new school construction in Hendry County in 26 years. The project is intended to relieve overcrowding in the LaBelle attendance area, where the current high school — built in 1976 for 950 students — enrolls roughly 1,400 students.

Reconfiguration plan: District staff described a multi-step move: the new high school will replace the current LaBelle High School; the current high school building will be converted to a middle school; and LaBelle Elementary and Uppen Grove Elementary will be consolidated at the existing middle-school campus. Officials said the configuration is intended to provide sufficient capacity in the LaBelle area for the foreseeable future.

Timeline and next steps: District staff said site civil engineering, utility planning and final design are underway. Construction timelines are subject to permitting, engineering and contractor schedules; staff said they would refine site and opening dates as work proceeds.

Ending: Officials invited anyone with questions to remain after the meeting for one-on-one follow-up and encouraged residents to review posted project diagrams and timeline materials.","District officials said the state-approved project will construct a comprehensive 1,500-student high school on New Helms Road and trigger a reconfiguration of nearby schools.",{"_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},6257006,"Hendry County Schools unveil draft strategic plan, set academic targets and seek community feedback",640,1863000,2503000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3155133-ea936438b208eeff632d03709723586c&start=1863&end=2503","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3155133-ea936438b208eeff632d03709723586c/thumbnail_1863000.jpg","/articles/6257006/Florida/Hendry-County-Schools-unveil-draft-strategic-plan-set-academic-targets-and-seek-community-feedback","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6257006-906fe65a4b31869887b84b229e97c291/orig.mp4?Expires=1771149047&Signature=jlcxvYViVMuzhX3fpzKNljM9jSIY4nGzHBznSkciT0PrBZF8~HZNcdecKlY6PdnYcA0Te1OSGmEDTm31beCFyWHMBfVtfLKyr-tEKxagm-tkz3JTZ6LSMNZnJbqWZ4J6lvuuAz1OzxqnHlvmC1pCD6pVLVP3Vsnb2dowRWtE7hfi1j6kloGtLvjke29tkKTDTqONuNh7rF9KtWbtWu5HnY~KJm3sXuODEafkY8LJHXrKrmpUdVIlWKKidalQe1jw03SYqxnBx5nMGaA5vU66oCIMHAlmjKHbuerdHjk3Zejkq9NCcyYkmiCdGsoWvdWUJ5XKeqt7zQlcx-i3RxDUAw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Hendry County Schools leaders presented a draft strategic plan and academic targets at a town-hall meeting in LaBelle, asking parents and community members to review the proposal and provide feedback through town halls and a new district advisory council.

The draft plan, described by Deputy Superintendent Dr. Staley, adds safety and security as a sixth district goal and sets measurable targets for student proficiency: increase ELA proficiency from 44% in 2023–24 to 54% by 2027–28 and raise math proficiency from 47% to 57% over the same period. The plan also includes targets for survey-based measures of school climate and for a 10% annual reduction in incidents reported to the state school-environment safety incident reporting system (CESSOR).

“People need to feel safe to be able to learn,” Dr. Staley said while outlining the safety and security objectives. She described the draft as a “living, breathing” document that district leadership will revise after community input.

Why it matters: The strategic plan will guide budget and operational priorities for the district, which has roughly 7,500 students, about 1,000 employees and a $236,000,000 operating budget, officials said. The document’s targets will factor into school improvement strategies, professional learning and resource allocation.

District leaders said the plan will be refined after town-hall feedback and formal school-board input. Superintendent Mike Swindle framed the plan as a community-facing tool: “It’s our job to educate. It’s our job to teach, and we’re gonna bring every student along,” he said, adding the district is taking “zero excuses.”

Officials described how the plan links to specific, recurring district actions: monthly half-day professional learning for teachers, school walkthroughs to monitor standards-based instruction, and expanded principal instructional leadership development. Elementary and secondary directors — Tressa Duncan and Mr. Sanchez — credited the district’s regular professional learning cadence and walkthroughs with part of the academic gains the district has reported in recent years.

The district also announced plans to create a single district advisory council to consolidate parent and stakeholder input on required plans (for example, ELL, student progression, migrant and homeless-student strategies, school improvement and parent- and family-engagement plans). Dr. Mundy said the advisory council will meet quarterly; attendees may join via a sign-up form or QR code the district distributed at the meeting.

Discussion and next steps: Officials said the draft plan is marked “DRAFT” on each page and will change based on feedback. Stakeholders were invited to scan QR codes at the meeting or complete an online town-hall feedback survey in English and Spanish. District leadership said they will return to the school board after compiling community input and that performance targets will be adjusted if interim data warrants.

Ending: District leaders urged attendees to participate in the feedback process and invited follow-up questions, saying staff maintain an “open-door” approach for community members seeking more information.","District leaders presented a draft 2025–2028 strategic plan at a LaBelle town hall, adding safety as a new goal, setting proficiency targets for ELA and math and launching a district advisory council to collect parent and community input.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Teacher at LaBelle campus tells town hall long-serving staff feel pay inequities amid small raises and sign-on bonuses

Hendry County Schools add October break, tweak start times and stagger bus routes to address staff burnout

Hendry County to build new LaBelle High School; district expects opening in 2027

Hendry County Schools unveil draft strategic plan, set academic targets and seek community feedback