The Okeechobee County School Board recognized many students for getting perfect scores in areas of their...
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OKEECHOBEE — The Okeechobee County School Board recognized many students at their meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 14, for getting perfect scores in areas of their state assessments last school year. For those in elementary and middle school it was the FAST ELA Assessments and for those in high school or taking a high school level course it was the EOC Assessments.
The students recognized for perfect scores were Samuel Garcia, Thatcher Hettema, John Small, Tian Yu Du, Ahsan Adil, Michael Jumper, Ainsley Bostic, Levi Maggard, Katherine Arruebo, Amy Castaneda, Jacob Davis, Kendrick Garner, Orlando Masso Laguardia, Salma Silva, Kaylee Woods, and Jasmin Flores-Verlasquez.
Some of the FFA students and their advisors were also recognized for their placement in the State Agri-Science Fair. Osceola Middle School FFA student Lexi Bishop placed second for Plant Systems - Division 1 and her advisor is Brian Trimble. Okeechobee High School FFA students Lila Bishop and Hannah Butler placed third for Animal Systems – Division 3; Lilly Larson placed fourth for Prepared speaking as well as placing first for Plant Systems – Division 6 with Brady Williamson, of which they are both national finalists; and Tyrin Langley placed first for Power Structure & Mechanic Systems –
Division 3 Champion as well as being a national finalist. The OHS FFA advisor is Megan Williamson.
Other staff recognition of the evening included OHS ELA Teacher Mary Albright, as well as 17 other staff who became certified teachers.
The board approved several resolutions recognizing things such as Disability History and Awareness Weeks, which is the first two weeks in the month of October, and School Bus Safety Week, which is the third week in October.
School bus Safety Week seems especially important in light of recent accidents involving school buses. The most recent accident occurred on Monday, Oct. 6, in which a school bus actually flipped onto its side. No children suffered life-threatening injuries but were all transported to the hospital out of an abundance of caution. There was a also an accident on Thursday, Sept. 11, involving a school bus but no children were on board at the time and no one was injured.
The board voted and approved the ratified proposals for 2025-2026 Instructional Contract. Out of 451 eligible instructional employees 115 voted for the 2025-2026 Salary Schedule and 111 voted against it. Superintendent Dylan Tedders said that he had anticipated the voting for this years’ negotiations to be close. He explained that in previous years the ESSR funds had enabled people to go home with more money in their pocket but that the board didn’t have as much money to put on the table this year and that he understands the teacher’s frustration.
For Payments for Advanced Degrees, 129 voted for and 97 voted against.
Superintendent Tedders announced the dates for the upcoming school Fall Festivals for parents who may want to attend with their children. Central Elementary will be hosting their festival on Oct. 24, at 6 p.m. Everglades Elementary will host theirs at 5 p.m. on Oct. 28, as well as North Elementary at 5:30 p.m. Seminole Elementary will host their Fall Festival on Oct. 29.
