Hardee County school board approves bus-tracking system, Arrow Group contract and multiple routine items; recognizes swim team and leadership nominees

The Hardee County School Board on Oct. 23 approved a five-year hardware, software and support agreement for the Where’s the Bus tracking system and a professional-services contract with Arrow Group, along with final budget amendments and other routine items. The board also recognized four district administrators selected for statewide leadership programs and honored the Hardee Senior High swim and dive team.

The board voted unanimously in favor of the Where’s the Bus agreement, a contract set to begin Nov. 1, 2025, that officials said will let drivers and families track buses, generate ridership reports and support unweighted full-time-equivalent (FTE) reporting. “It is another safety layer that we haven’t had,” said the administrator who presented the item. The board approved the Arrow Group agreement for professional services the same evening; presenters said Arrow Group has committed to an all-inclusive fee and would not request additional reimbursements beyond the contracted amount.

The recognitions section included four district staff accepted into two Florida Association of School Administrators leadership programs. Suzanne Stagg and Zachary Harvard were named to the Pivot principal leadership program; Jessie Roberts and Donna Block were accepted into the Launch Pad program for early-career assistant principals. The board also heard remarks from Coach Britney Campos and student members of the Hardee Senior High swim and dive team, who described the team’s training schedule and recent district championships.

Why it matters: the bus-tracking system and related routing and reporting tools are intended to provide drivers and district staff with real-time location data, increase passenger accountability and improve FTE and Medicaid-related reporting that can affect state funding. Contracts and budget amendments approved at the meeting set implementation timelines and clear the district to proceed with installations and software integrations ahead of the 2026 school…