CLEWISTON — The Hendry County School District has received a B grade from the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) for the 2025-26 school year.

According to data released by FDOE, collectively the Hendry County School District earned a B from FDOE with a score of 63%. The district’s score was only two percent away from an A.

FDOE release school grades to provide an easily understandable way to measure the performance of a school. Schools are graded A, B, C, D, or F.  A school’s grade may include up to twelve components. There are five achievement components and four learning gains components, as well as components for middle school acceleration, graduation rate and college and career acceleration.

Eastside Elementary, Central Elementary, and Clewiston Middle School all earned A’s from FDOE for the most recent school year. While LaBelle Elementary, Westside Elementary, Country Oaks Elementary, Upthegrove Elementary, and LaBelle High School all earned a B.

“As a district we know that every individual school has to grow, and we have to continue that pace of growth up, year over year,” said Hendry Superintendent of schools Michael Swindle. “Don’t pay attention to ‘A this year, B this year, A next year’. That really doesn’t matter to me as much as having equal or better growth than what the state expectation is.”

Both Clewiston and LaBelle high schools achieved 89% graduation rate this year, which marks a new high for both schools. Clewiston Middle School had one of the biggest increases from last year, jumping up to a B this year after earning a C in 2024-25.