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Board flags attendance crisis and safety issues, hears update on school‑zone camera legislation and funding status
Summary
At the March 3 meeting Hendry County school leaders outlined an attendance shortfall—students missing up to 60 days—discussed outreach and focus groups, raised a playground slide safety concern and pending mold test results, and noted pending legislation on school‑zone cameras and progress on funding in the governor's and Senate budgets.
District leaders told the Hendry County School Board on March 3 that student attendance remains a major concern and outlined steps the district is taking to learn why students miss school and to improve participation.
Superintendent said the district has students who have missed as many as 60 days this year and that the district is "struggling with attendance." Staff described annual and planned focus groups designed to ask students and families what would make school more welcoming and noted incentive programs such as an attendance challenge supported by the Hendry Education Task Force and local partners.
Board members emphasized outreach to parents and community partners and suggested additional tools—anonymous surveys, student panels and targeted community engagement—to better understand barriers to attendance. The board also recalled past truancy‑court efforts and the district's funding challenges to sustain that program.
Separately, a board member raised a safety concern about a large hole at a slide at Central and urged immediate remediation (roping off, boarding or removal) to prevent student injuries. Staff confirmed mold testing had been conducted at one school and that results would be presented the following day; if mold is found, the district said it will mitigate and remediate as necessary.
Board members also noted two legislative items of interest: pending legislation to require flashing signage as part of school‑zone camera deployments, which staff said would make photo‑enforcement cases easier to verify, and work on a proposed school board members “bill of rights.” Staff said the district’s funding request is included in the governor’s and Senate budgets and that the district’s lobbyist and local representative are working to secure appropriations.
What happens next: staff will present mold‑testing results and continue focus groups and attendance outreach; the board plans community outreach and monitoring of the legislation and appropriations process.
