A very heartfelt THANK YOU for taking time to read my blog.

Happy New Year, Hendry County! It’s been a whirlwind since being sworn into the Hendry County School Board, District 4 seat on November 18. I’ve participated in two official board meetings, one executive session, and a four day Florida School Board Association conference.

I’m new to being a school board member, and blogging, and what I’m absolutely confident about at this point is what I don’t know far outweighs what I do know.  I’ve always been told that the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time and as we enter 2015, I’m sitting at this proverbial table feeling hungry and determined.

My plan over the next couple of months is to spend time on each school campus in Hendry County. I’ve appreciated reading each school’s 2014-15 Continuous Improvement Model (formerly known as the School Improvement Plan) and feel like each one offered valuable insight into the instructional and extra-curricular priorities, as well as the culture of each campus. While the CIM’s are valuable tools that provide a great amount of insight, there is no greater teacher than experience. I’m looking forward to the experiences I will encounter and the education I will receive on Hendry County’s campuses in the coming months.

As a board, I feel we’re starting off 2015 on the right foot. A 2.19% raise for district HESPA employees was unanimously approved in the December 2014 meeting and the board unanimously voted to restructure meetings so that the first meeting of the month will be a workshop and the second meeting of the month will be our business meeting.  In my opinion, having a workshop each month is essential to having the knowledge, as a board, to build and manage the district’s budget.

I’d like to personally invite you to attend our next school board meeting on Tuesday, January 13, at the Clewiston Sub-Office Boardroom located at 475 E. Osceola Avenue at 5:30 pm for our first business meeting of 2015.

Thank you for the privilege of serving Hendry County. I am honored and humbled.

~Stephanie