LABELLE, Fla — A petition with more than 1,000 signatures is pushing to save LaBelle High School’s Fire Academy.
Fox 4’s Hendry County Community Correspondent, Austin Schargorodski, covers this area every day and looked into why the program could be cut and what could happen next.
Watch what the Hendry School District told Austin about the possible fire academy cut:
The petition urges the Hendry County School District to keep the academy. Supporters say it has helped students launch careers in public safety – vital for rural counties – and even save lives.
The district agrees it’s a great program and wants to keep it, but says low enrollment and tight budgets are forcing tough decisions.
“So with that in mind we have to make sure when we invest in these programs they’re servicing the greater need of the most amount of students, and unfortunately with the fire academy the student load got very low,” said Superintendent Mike Swindle.
Swindle says the program averages just 14 to 15 students per period. He says the district looks for at least 20 to keep a program going. Ultimately, he says student interest drives what stays and what goes.
“We let the students have voice in what they would want to have as different types of programs on campus. And we get some great feedback. And one of those is culinary. We’ve had a survey out and have gotten more than 250 responses from students who want to be put in a culinary next year,” Swindle said.
Still, Swindle says there could be a path forward for the fire academy. He says the district is in talks with the City of LaBelle to help fund and possibly relocate the program.
“The city has reached out and has expressed interest in engaging with us and perhaps helping find an avenue to where we can partner together and continue to run it. Maybe it would be on city property, maybe our property. And they’re going to help with some of the funding to supply the teacher and things like that. So if we can work together to make it happen and lessen the burden of the expense on the school district, then we’re more than happy to do so,” Swindle said.
Swindle says meetings are planned next week, with the goal of keeping the fire academy for next school year.
