School Board of Highlands County

CALENDAR REMINDER

📆 No school, Monday, January 19th, 2026

Welcome Back, Students! We missed you! 👋

School resumes tomorrow: Tuesday, January 6th, 2026.

Let's get ready for a great second semester:
⏰ Alarms: Set them now (and double-check AM vs PM!)
💻 Chromebooks: Plug in, and ensure they are fully charged.
🎒 Backpacks: Check & refill supplies.
🚌 Bus: Plan to be at the stop 5 minutes early.

See you in the morning! ☀️

Don't forget, tomorrow is an early release!

Dr. Brenda Longshore presented the School Board of Highlands County with a special plaque at Tuesday's scheduled board meeting from the Florida School Boards Association, recognizing the Board for achieving the Certified Master Board designation. This honor is awarded to school boards that demonstrate exceptional governance practices, a strong commitment to professional development, and a unified focus on student success.

To earn this designation, board members completed an intensive training and strategic planning process designed to strengthen teamwork, clarify roles, and enhance decision-making on behalf of the community. Congratulations to our School Board members for their dedication to continuous improvement and for modeling the high standards we strive to uphold across our district.

Pictured is Dr. Isaac Durrance, board chair, alongside Dr. Longshore, Superintendent of Schools, who accepted the recognition on behalf of the board.

Dear Families,

We’d love to hear from you! Please take about 90 seconds to let us know how we’re doing by completing our short annual parent survey. Your feedback helps us strengthen student relationships, improve learning conditions, and enhance the overall school environment.

Your responses are confidential, and the survey is voluntary. Your input makes a big difference. If you have children at more than one school, please complete the survey once for each school by clicking the link below more than once.

The survey will remain open through the end of December.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/F5SRF9C

Thank you for taking a moment to share your thoughts and help us continue improving our schools for every student.

Progress reports are coming home! Keep an eye on your student's backpack for their Q2 progress report
.
Remember, you can always check their grades 24/7 on Skyward Family Access. Need help logging in? Feel free to reach out to the front office!

Code of Conduct Review Committee Meeting
Wednesday, November 19, 2025
3:30 PM
Boardroom

Change your clocks, be on time Monday! Daylight saving time ended early Sunday Morning.

Code of Conduct Review Committee Meeting
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
3:30 PM
Boardroom

Please note the following student calendar reminders for this week:

📅 Thursday is a 2-hour early release (10/16/25). All bus routes & parent pickup lines will be two hours earlier on Thursday. Please notify your child's teacher if there is a change in the way your child will be going home.

📅 Friday (10/17/25) is a student holiday, and there is no school.

Your child's health and safety are a priority. In compliance with a new state law, we are providing materials from the Florida Department of Health to help parents recognize the early signs of Type 1 diabetes in young children. You can find these resources at the link below.

Flyer: https://aptg.co/Dc4yMl

Learn more about diabetes and resources for assistance at https://FloridaHealth.gov/Diabetes

Don't forget, this Wednesday is a 2-hour early release (9/24/25). All bus routes & parent pickup lines will be two hours earlier on Wednesday. Please notify your child's teacher if there is a change in the way your child will be going home.

Progress reports are coming home! Keep an eye on your student's backpack for their first report of the year.

Remember, you can always check their grades 24/7 on Skyward Family Access. Need help logging in? Feel free to reach out to the front office!

HCESPA Negotiations Meeting
Wednesday, September 18, 2025 5:00PM
Boardroom

Our first 2-hour early release is this Wednesday (8/27/25). All bus routes & parent pickup lines will be two hours earlier on Wednesday. Please notify your child's teacher if there is a change in the way your child will be going home.

August 21st is Fentanyl Awareness & Education Day. 🎗️ Our district is recognizing this day to highlight the dangers of fentanyl and the risk of overdose.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Over 150 people die across the country each day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. You can help save a life if you think a person is experiencing an overdose. Call 911 immediately.