Okeechobee school bells rang for the first time for the 2025-2026 school year this morning.
Okeechobee School Superintendent Dylan Tedders said they have 33 new teachers in the classroom this year with some from Okeechobee, others from parts of Florida and some from out of state.
They had little administrative turnover this year. Jenifer Radcliffe was named principal at Central Elementary over the summer
This will also be the last year of Okeechobee High School as we know it. The old classroom buildings will be torn down next summer to make way for the new campus being constructed.
“Our administrators were all ready. I met with the bus drivers, food service, and they were all ready to go and were excited to get started and back into their routine of educating students every day.”
Tedders said enrollment is projected to be reduced but they won’t know for sure until October the final student population numbers.
Back to school meant more vehicles on the roads and streets in Okeechobee County this morning.
The school system, Okeechobee police, and the chief deputy at the sheriff’s office all produced videos and did interviews to promote school safety in and around school zones and school buses.
Traffic patrolman for Okeechobee police Ryan Holyrod urged motorists to slow down and obey speed limits in school zones and also to pay special attention to pedestrians and students walking to school or waiting alongside the road for a school bus to pick them up.
He reminded motorists that it is illegal to use a hand held cell phone in school zones.
He wanted parents and teachers to show a good example to other drivers. “We bring them into this world and we try to teach them right from wrong and do what is right by them. I think setting the right example can start at school and especially in the school zone.”
The school zone on 441 south will be active three times per day throughout the school year and police promise to be running radar in that area. The speed limit when the lights are flashing are reduced to 20 miles per hour.
The city of Pahokee is discussing whether to use tax dollars to help parents pay for their kids to pay football in the city recreation league.
They could also reduce fees or eliminate them.
Mayor Keith Babb was opposed to using revenue from the city treasury. He said it is more important to pave and improve city streets which in some cases are unpassable.
Other commissioners said they support some kind of help for families. They note it is worth the investment.
James Scott said sports in general save communities and kids.
“If we not going to encourage them to participate and just tell them they can’t play because their parents didn’t pay, to me, that is disheartening.”
Vice Mayor Sanquetta Cowan Williams said city staff has told kids they can’t play due to an inability to pay.
“Why would staff tell kids they don’t have money and they can’t play.”
Manager Michael Jackson said he hasn’t heard any staff tell a kid they can’t play. He said he supports the city doing what it can to help families.