Parents and residents pressed the Highlands County School Board on Jan. 7, 2025, for faster special-education placements and support services for children with disabilities, while the board completed a slate of routine approvals including personnel actions and a roof contract for Lake Placid High School.

Danielle Braggs told the board her son, Dason Jordan, received a new IQ assessment this month showing a score of 65 after a test performed in Lakeland; she said the district previously recorded his IQ as 88 and asked when he would receive placement in a self-contained intellectual classroom. “It's a 65. All I'm asking is now how long is it gonna take before he gets where he needs to go,” Braggs said.

Tina Jordan, whose daughter was described as having Williams syndrome, told the board families need a local specialized program and said she has gathered a petition with “over 2,300 people” asking for local classes or supports. She asked the board to consider bringing Nathaniel’s Hope — a respite and support program she currently accesses in Orlando — to Highlands County and offered to help start a local chapter if a facility could be donated.

Bill Clay offered positive public feedback about a local school bus driver, identified in the comment as Omar Bedares, describing behavior-management and incentive practices that he said reduced misconduct on his route. “He developed a rapport and he says it's working,” Clay said.

After public comment, the board moved through routine business. The board approved the agenda as revised (the superintendent had requested removal of a waiver appeal from the agenda), approved the consent agenda and minutes of the Dec. 10 meeting, accepted the superintendent’s personnel recommendations and approved expulsions. Board members also considered committee liaison appointments, agreed to leave the Children's Services Council unfilled because it was sunset and noted the Concurrency Committee has not been active; the board moved to appoint a representative to the Circuit 10 Child Death Review Panel and an alternate, with virtual meeting expectations described by staff.

The board tabled consideration of participation in the Florida School Boards Association Master Board program until its Jan. 21 meeting so members could review specific dates. The board approved revised 2025 meeting dates and awarded a contract for the Phase 5 roof replacement at Lake Placid High School to Advanced Roofing and Sheet Metal LLC (bid reference SBHC 242054). All recorded votes on those items were affirmative.

Votes at a glance
- Adopt agenda as revised: approved (motion moved; unanimous recorded yes votes).
- Consent agenda (including Dec. 10 minutes): approved (unanimous yes).
- Motion to name Sebring High School media center Major Thomas B. McGuire Jr. Memorial Library: approved (see separate article).
- Superintendent personnel recommendations: approved (unanimous yes).
- Approval of expulsions: approved (unanimous yes).
- School board liaison appointments: Children's Services Council — no appointment (sunset); Concurrency Committee — no active appointment (committee inactive); Circuit 10 Child Death Review Panel — representative and alternate appointed (names not specified in transcript).
- FSBA Master Board participation: tabled until Jan. 21, 2025, pending date availability.
- Revised 2025 board meeting dates: approved (unanimous yes).
- Lake Placid High School roof Phase 5 contract award to Advanced Roofing and Sheet Metal LLC (SBHC 242054): approved (unanimous yes).

Board members thanked public commenters and recognized the bus-driver praise as an example of positive staff impact. The meeting closed after a small number of remaining agenda items and routine board member comments.