Highlands Career Institute

Join us for Open House on Monday, August 4th from 5:00 to 7:00 PM!

Students and families will have the opportunity to:

Pick up class schedules
Meet the HCI staff
Complete back-to-school paperwork
Ask questions about the upcoming school year
We’re excited to welcome you and kick off a great year together!

GPS Location for the School: https://sbhcschools.org/HCIlocation
Highlands Career Institute Website: https://hci.highlands.k12.fl.us/o/hci

Directions to HCI Building at SFSC :
Once you are on College Drive, turn into Entrance 5 and you will see Parking lot E immediately to your right. Park in Parking Lot E and walk to Building L. View Map: https://sbhcschools.org/HCIMap

Supply List
The following items are considered general supplies that students will need for the coming school year:
● Paper
● Pens
● Pencils
● Highlighters
● Backpack
● Scientific Calculator
● 3-Ring Binder (2 inches or larger)
● 1 Notebook for each high school course (4 classes)
● $5 Lab fee for Science courses (Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science)
Students are provided a chromebook by the school district and required to pay the annual $10 usage fee. Students are expected to bring their chromebook fully charged on a daily basis.

Bus Pickup/Dropoff Times/Locations :
Bus pickup and dropoff times/locations can be found here: https://sbhcschools.org/BusInfo . The specific bus numbers are still subject to change, but the times and locations are set for the school year.

Dress Code
Dress code information can be found here: https://sbhcschools.org/HCIDressCode . Please plan accordingly to be in compliance with the dress code expectations when on campus in order to avoid disciplinary actions and/or missed class time.

Starting Dates :
The first day of school is on Monday, August 11th. College classes will not officially begin until Wednesday, August 13th, but students will be required to attend the full day on the 11th and 12th.

During college class times we will complete orientation activities and review school rules, policies, and expectations. Students will also complete other state requirements for safety and other areas.

We are excited to welcome Kimberly Velasquez as the new lead teacher for the Highlands Career Institute. Mrs. Velasquez brings a wide range of educational experiences in the Highlands County School District, and will be a great addition for the 2025-2026 school year.

If you are looking for a place to eat on Tuesday, May 6th, please consider grabbing some food or drink from the Sebring Panera as part of a fundraising opportunity for the Highlands Career Institute. 25% of the sales between 4 pm and 8 pm will come back to the school to support our students. To participate, use the online code FUND4U for online purchases. Online orders placed at any time during the day will count toward the fundraising total. If making an in store purchase between 4 and 8 pm, you will need to show the attached image at the time of checkout. Thank you to Panera for partnering with us and thank you in advance to anyone who participates in the event.

The Highlands Career Institute will be hosting our Spring Open House on Thursday, February 20th from 5-7 pm. Prospective students and families will have the opportunity to tour the different Technical Dual Enrollment programs, meet teachers, and ask questions about the program. If you have a student that is interested in Technical Dual Enrollment, please join us on February 20th.

Due to Hurricane Milton, both South Florida State College and the Highlands Career Institute will be closed until Monday, October 14th. Please check the HCI website and local communication for further updates and stay safe during the pending storm.

𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿! 𝟵𝟴𝟵𝟬𝟬 The School Board of Highlands County and its schools use a variety of methods to contact you to keep you informed. Beginning soon, our 5-digit texting code will change to 98900. We encourage you to store this number as a contact so you always know that it is from the district and our schools! You'll receive a welcome message on Wednesday (11/29) from this number. When messages come from a school they will always begin with the school's three initials so you know which school is messaging you. No reply is required when you receive this welcome message. Remember to always keep your information up to date in the school offices.