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