Hendry County School District plans low-cost housing for teachers

The Hendry County School District says teachers at Clewiston Middle and other schools are struggling to find housing they can afford.

Fox 4’s Hendry County Community Correspondent, Austin Schargorodski, works in the area every day, so the people there know him, and the district superintendent told him about their plan to build affordable apartments that are just for teachers.

Right outside of Downtown Clewiston, where you see a tree-filled lot now, could someday be something much more for Clewiston Middle School algebra teacher, Estefania Leon.

Austin Schargorodski

Leon said she and her husband struck out when house hunting in Hendry County.

“We struggled for a year trying to find rent, and if it wasn’t rent, there are no houses to buy out here,” said Leon.

Austin Schargorodski

Eventually, Leon said they found an apartment nearby, but it’s expensive for what they get. Principal Tina Kelley says she’s lost teachers because of those high rent prices.

“It’s not unusual for me to interview with someone, actually hire them, then once they have an opportunity to research housing in the area they end up calling me back saying, ‘Ms. Kelley, I’m so sorry but I’m not going to be able to take the position because I can’t find anywhere to live,'” said Kelley.

Austin Schargorodski

That’s why Hendry Schools Superintendent Michael Swindle wants to use land the district owns— but doesn’t use— to build low-cost apartments only teachers could rent.

“Right now, the average rent here is thirteen to fifteen hundred dollars a month, and when you do the backward engineering on that there’s not a lot of profit leftover in a teacher salary. So, if we can cut that in half or even significantly down, that would make up for some of the salary we can’t give them,” said Swindle.

Austin Schargorodski

Swindle said the District wants to build one complex in Clewiston and another in LaBelle, and he said he wants to do it at no cost to the county.

“We’re looking for a builder to come in and build what we need pretty much at cost— then we could trade them the other properties so they could build single-family homes or other apartments. Then, they could charge market rates to other people in Hendry County and that would be their profit center,” Swindle explained.

Swindle said the District plans to start looking for a builder this month.