The Hendry County School Board approved multiple new personnel allocations Wednesday, voting to add two elementary safety and security officers, an instructional data coach, and a resource media-center counselor to district staffing.

Superintendent Swindle told the board the paid guardians are an additional layer of protection for elementary campuses and will complement, not replace, SROs provided by the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office. The superintendent said the funds for the safety officers come from state-delineated school funds allocated to schools.

The board also approved a district instructional data coach position described by district staff as responsible for onboarding instructional software and overseeing the districtwide assessment program. Roberto Sanchez (title not specified in the public portion of the transcript) explained the data coach will “oversee the onboarding process for schools” for new instructional technology and work with teachers to ensure assessments are recorded and used to inform instruction via platforms such as Performance Matters.

On the media-center role, the superintendent explained the resource media-center counselor will fill duties similar to a librarian in schools where a certified librarian is difficult to recruit. The superintendent said the district has found success using resource counselors to perform library management, Chromebook check-in/out and related responsibilities.

Board members asked clarifying questions about the positions’ duties and funding sources before voting. Motions to approve each allocation passed; one motion was carried on a voice vote and others by roll call consistent with routine board practice recorded in the meeting.

District staff said these allocations are intended to support student safety, instructional quality and library services as part of the district’s ongoing academic initiatives.