Highlands County School Board hears pitch from Southern Group on lobbying, grants and funding strategy

Southern Group lobbyists presented their services to the Highlands County School Board at a workshop, describing how the firm would represent Highlands County Schools before the Florida Legislature, the governor's office and state education agencies to pursue appropriations, grant opportunities and rulemaking input.

The presentation, delivered by Sheila Van Hoose, David Sheff and a Southern Group education specialist identified as Wendy, explained the firm's statewide presence, examples of past funding wins for school districts, grant opportunities and a proposed timeline for starting work before the 2026 legislative session.

The consultants said their work would include developing a prioritized list of district projects, filing appropriation requests, identifying and pursuing grant opportunities, coordinating with committee staff and agency rulemaking processes, and supporting board members who travel to Tallahassee for meetings. "We want you to be thought leaders, and to do that, you wanna think multiple years out," Sheila Van Hoose said.

Why it matters: Board members described capital and program needs, including a proposal to expand vocational offerings and a potential aviation/diesel…