[{"_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",6222923,"mediaKeyId","3577806-a9f23e57fe25a8951299c85f41eb7110","parentId",3577806,"title","Superintendent says district will give RMCA 60‑day notice for workforce housing site; paid maternity leave under study","audioSeconds",129,"startMs",2026000,"endMs",2155000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3577806-a9f23e57fe25a8951299c85f41eb7110&start=2026&end=2155","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3577806-a9f23e57fe25a8951299c85f41eb7110/thumbnail_2026000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6222923/Florida/Superintendent-says-district-will-give-RMCA-60day-notice-for-workforce-housing-site-paid-maternity-leave-under-study","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6222923-385e5c8a1b54235bf7cf7da00d9f9146/orig.mp4?Expires=1770427694&Signature=hlE2brBvQegWkXoRx~ZlZQyInUTlHK4JXfaHaUCbWuxnvgxK2o3P5NKYt3katBCsABQnFxheNP1nv2ipkq0eu1UEaOaa0XOZKMxQ1zLV0Iv-imwUeXlZVpe48l2tFTxkLv-bPobeDmRh5FsLtnwH5pYp~2h~JB9TjfmqS57Jpn7jyUjKN37ejgd3MwZsj5dv0hnXy5LpEwdRw1mqNige3Mxjf8EjLKoEnk2W~bNsS5he5Twhw7eqr7~6tI12Sw~5GCR86cihakY5TkrRVknbC2dFRLdTspRAMPU8NrmJX5SYuck1XY1JSuK1rNJmMdg48cn4Aw2Fjw1egoVd~b19cg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Desoto County School District","date","2025-05-29T09:03:22.953Z","article","Superintendent Doctor Bennett told the board the district will send a 60‑day notice to RMCA to reclaim a district facility for workforce housing and that staff are researching paid maternity leave for employees.

Bennett said the letter to RMCA will signal the district’s intent to repurpose the property for workforce housing development: “We're gonna be sending a letter to RMCA about the property. We're gonna give them a 60 day notice that we're gonna need to get that facility back to use for a housing, in for for building that workforce housing.” He noted RMCA did not have students enrolled this past year and that staff will work with RMCA if a need arises, offering available space at Moffattie Elementary as a contingency.

On employee benefits, Bennett said the district plans to move forward with a proposal to provide three paid weeks of maternity leave for employees and that staff member Gina is researching how to implement it fairly and affordably. “Gina's researching it to make sure it's something we can implement, and that we can handle and do it in a fair method,” Bennett said. He framed the proposal as a recruitment and retention tool for teachers and other district employees.

Bennett also tied workforce housing to broader staff recruitment: offering housing and childcare could attract staff and first responders to live closer to work, he said. The board did not record a formal motion or vote on the 60‑day notice or the maternity‑leave proposal during the meeting; both items were described as direction from the superintendent for staff follow‑up.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Regular Board Meeting 5/27/25","oneSentenceSummary","Superintendent Doctor Bennett said the district will send a 60‑day notice to RMCA to reclaim a facility for workforce housing and said staff are researching a plan to offer three weeks paid maternity leave for district employees.","taxTitle","DeSoto, School Districts, Florida","taxId",57880,"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},6222928,"DeSoto academic team honored for multi‑year state finishes; coach seeks community support for local events",434,145000,579000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3577806-a9f23e57fe25a8951299c85f41eb7110&start=145&end=579","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3577806-a9f23e57fe25a8951299c85f41eb7110/thumbnail_145000.jpg","/articles/6222928/Florida/DeSoto-academic-team-honored-for-multiyear-state-finishes-coach-seeks-community-support-for-local-events","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6222928-883b286dcab37ebbbf0574db32a95fb7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770427694&Signature=lNVpDhRRwHIwSTgG54Gi9BUmCQDlyl11K3~lcLbKbZV7ACKMxk9whaZDq-PW8ip6FQgRgyoSuWHCuEd5q9sAwm-SE-1beman5Zr8kWEkv~5c2hi-A3jrvy1Kavj5YxgMKpnt390iQDhe5XtsvZNH4jYAw9asJlPXatrMGzKc1Qi5v1EJmMFkecOuXtrrTNVhEVBDPrQZwZkMuxQDOCtaO3m~4g5vFJRgNmI0P1LfWiAjqdMGO-JUivyEVe1ABQFTMKVCk8rAGnj75Zh8zf8ySom6OeGRmvQ7XlTuqLEUSWn7ZSrrm16A-cvHO7dymM0u22SnHS71trVIENvUXn8DwA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Coach Hagan introduced members of DeSoto’s academic team and described the team’s multi‑year state finishes and college plans for students.

Hagan said the team faced a dry season for local tournaments but competed at a state event in Miami and performed well. He listed team members and subject specialities, including Roy Ortiz (foreign language, math, physics, literature), Milo Tovar (music and music theory), Leasmin Playa Vasquez (art history, history, pop culture), Rachel Lansford (a ninth grader accepted to Princeton), and Shelby Hanshaw (tenth grader, absent). Hagan noted college plans for some members: Ortiz is attending the University of Central Florida and Tovar plans a year at State College of Florida before transferring to UCF.

Hagan described the team’s state finishes over four years—sixth (2022), second (2023 and 2024), and third (this year as seniors)—and credited consistent practice and veteran leadership. He told the board the team has placed 10 times in the final round at state in the last 12 attempts.

Board members thanked Hagan for his long service and asked whether local schools had teams and whether the district could host events. Hagan said some local schools could not field teams and welcomed district support: “I don't have a problem if we need to help as a district, to help you guys host a couple of home events in DeSoto County to bring people,” he said.

The presentation was a recognition item; no formal action was recorded.","Coach Hagan introduced the district’s academic team, outlined recent state finishes and college plans for members, and requested community help to host local tournaments to support feeder programs.",{"_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},6222933,"DeSoto schools to launch VPK, staff childcare and aftercare with foundation funding",285,1251000,1536000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3577806-a9f23e57fe25a8951299c85f41eb7110&start=1251&end=1536","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3577806-a9f23e57fe25a8951299c85f41eb7110/thumbnail_1251000.jpg","/articles/6222933/Florida/DeSoto-schools-to-launch-VPK-staff-childcare-and-aftercare-with-foundation-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6222933-0efffa6fe45e6eeb498f437224b4dd3c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770427694&Signature=oZbc6170BfYNphX9qX6Oyq87qYrPPWXMKTHyfUOit~jXX7j8PE82cVo6r01fUiRKLRmoWVpRNz-pR0zBB769e2GXYhyPdo1MAJgwY897~nXpiENxGBTUP2G-ezeASJyV1OjHMn0PON2XdiQa0g5l-3TH3B0bhkTfJaqHPrFkJK-PtJv8kcgSoGjLMELUgUq6OSK7YAwaHSPoSUPuHA0UbYzW6OjAiI-tIQj6aQe2p6b51UA6GGk5F1ZkPeZydHS8KKwbngF5ELEdAjGl~XNBoklgp0puUs~YG0LlVWHL9~qVwjFC75oQ1DgWVxg8uXAe4bDxPzh2dGAatvdc1bgUBw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District staff told the board the district will launch several early‑childhood and aftercare programs next school year, backed by foundation funding.

Doctor Reynolds said the Bransick Foundation is fully funding a voluntary prekindergarten (VPK) program at Nocatee Elementary School, including staffing, materials and field trip resources. The district expanded the initial plan from two or three classrooms to four classrooms for a total of 76 VPK seats because of the foundation’s financial support.

Reynolds also described two pilot aftercare programs—Mustang Care and Cowboy Care—for kindergarten through fifth grade and VPK students. The Bransick Foundation will pay for VPK students’ participation in Mustang Care, Reynolds said.

The district will start Little Boots, a childcare program for full‑time district employees’ children ages 1–3. Reynolds said the Little Boots pilot is planned at West (school) with two classrooms (one for ages 2–3 and one for ages 1–2) and three staff members.

Reynolds said the Henson Fund has agreed to fund scholarships covering 100 students in the aftercare programs for families in financial or academic need; the district received email confirmation the morning of the meeting. “The Henson Fund is pleased to fund our a hundred students…within the aftercare programs,” Reynolds said.

Board members praised the programs and the district’s community partnerships. Several members noted the availability of on‑site childcare can support employee retention and recruitment.

The presentation included grant agreement documents in the board packet; no formal vote to accept grants was recorded during the meeting. Reynolds described the programs as responses to community need and said both foundations approached the district to partner on the initiatives.","District leaders described a new VPK program at Nocatee Elementary, staff-only childcare called Little Boots, aftercare pilots Mustang Care and Cowboy Care, and foundation funding from Barancik/Bransick and the Henson Fund supporting classrooms and scholarships.",{"_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},6222938,"DeSoto Schools present draft 2025–29 strategic plan as district graduation rate nears 87%",962,834000,1796000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3577806-a9f23e57fe25a8951299c85f41eb7110&start=834&end=1796","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3577806-a9f23e57fe25a8951299c85f41eb7110/thumbnail_834000.jpg","/articles/6222938/Florida/DeSoto-Schools-present-draft-202529-strategic-plan-as-district-graduation-rate-nears-87","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6222938-b9cd852dfb958fa0d795ca43f391650c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770427694&Signature=gW8ArPi4zUNzeFGcndIiaSISzzt1nyOzim0rB5ZPJzBC-j6O7lQwaakfxhd~so2iszSDyggbH3AOp0Z-24YrT-uc9NauicTyjijG4ZBjbVbY9gDKsq9QyOolAIJZSvG33GSeqUrIZG1MqBYVwVXy8H-J~4tywRd66PT9S2JxOX8XCVclwawZN8VC37PSF67MF1O-hPf5Z38hKLMoaROvQ8zohLgMDYni7Q9CxRvhFE21kKbsPeYEW16pHSnMq-5bQmlXeY5vnPDM8rdyLAxy1BnzgMjtqP4JWEsM5NazviDSoC4-jjj06R8PM~npyAUsgq5Drorpex~U3P3vzVG7wg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The DeSoto County School Board heard a presentation of the draft 2025–2029 strategic plan and an update on graduation rates during its board meeting.

Doctor Reynolds presented the draft strategic plan, saying it “creates a shared focus on students” and includes five goals—academic performance, culture and climate, staff recruitment and retention, family and community engagement, and operations and effective budget resource allocation. The plan was developed with more than 30 committee members and feedback from staff and community surveys, Reynolds said.

The plan includes measurable benchmarks and metrics, committee membership, and a district snapshot. “We went back and forth on what that where that line was as a committee and, through feedback from our community and staff surveys,” Reynolds said. He said the plan is intended to be used actively, not shelved, and to drive district decisions.

Superintendent Doctor Bennett and several board members praised the plan’s clarity and usefulness. Board members noted the plan’s shorter format compared with a previous 400‑page version and highlighted the snapshot section for district context.

In the same report cycle, district leadership said the district graduation rate is now above 86.6 percent. Superintendent Bennett said DeSoto Senior High School (DSS) is “one student from being at 80% graduation rate,” noting that student is expected to be a summer graduate. “We can't count those eggs till they hatch,” Bennett said, while adding that districtwide figures are expected to exceed 86 percent if DSS reaches 80 percent.

The presentation did not include a formal vote to adopt the strategic plan; the document was described as a draft undergoing refinement. Board members asked where a missing photo page appears in the electronic packet and were directed to the electronic copy for that page.

Board members said the plan’s metrics and community-informed development make it a practical guide for upcoming decisions and budget priorities. No implementation schedule or adoption vote was announced at the meeting.","District staff presented a draft 2025–29 strategic plan emphasizing academics, staff recruitment, family engagement and operations; officials also reported a district graduation rate above 86% and a school nearing an 80% rate.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Superintendent says district will give RMCA 60‑day notice for workforce housing site; paid maternity leave under study

DeSoto academic team honored for multi‑year state finishes; coach seeks community support for local events

DeSoto schools to launch VPK, staff childcare and aftercare with foundation funding

DeSoto Schools present draft 2025–29 strategic plan as district graduation rate nears 87%