Holmes District School Board Packet Summary — August 11, 2026
Key Items on the Agenda
The Holmes District School Board is scheduled to consider several administrative items for the 2026-2027 school year, including a teacher salary-increase agreement, the district personnel handbook, health insurance, and athletic guidelines. The agenda also includes consent items, athletic travel requests, and personnel recommendations.
Teacher Salary Increase Agreement
The Board is scheduled to consider a 2026-2027 memorandum of understanding between the Holmes District School Board and the Holmes County Teachers Association governing distribution of Classroom Teacher and Other Instructional Personnel Salary Increase funds.
The packet identifies a district allocation of $172,364.00. After a 7.65% FICA share of $13,185 and a 14.03% FRS share of $24,182.67, the agreement identifies $134,995.48 as available for distribution.
Under the proposed agreement:
- The $134,995.48 would be divided equally among eligible classroom teachers with at least 10 years of teaching experience in Florida.
- The number of eligible teachers would be determined on August 25, 2026, after which the funds would be divided equally and paid.
- Any additional qualifying salary-increase funds received later would be distributed using the same method.
- The agreement would take effect upon School Board approval and union ratification.
2026-2027 Personnel Handbook
The Board is scheduled to consider the district's 2026-2027 Personnel Handbook, a wide-ranging guide covering employee responsibilities, benefits, workplace expectations, leave, safety, technology use, disciplinary procedures, and other employment matters.
Among the subjects addressed are compensation, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, employee dress and appearance, electronic resources, nondiscrimination and harassment, ethics, leave, purchasing, reporting misconduct, retirement, school safety, travel, visitors and volunteers, weapons, whistleblower protections, wireless devices, workers' compensation, and work schedules.
The handbook also emphasizes campus security practices. It calls for external and classroom doors to remain locked when students are on campus, prohibits door wedges and similar devices, provides for door checks, and states that employees who knowingly violate school-safety requirements may be subject to progressive discipline.
Health Insurance Renewal
Health insurance appears twice on the agenda. A Health Insurance Renewal is scheduled for discussion during the workshop, and the Board is later scheduled to consider approval of 2026-2027 Health Insurance under Administrative Programs.
The packet's personnel handbook states that the Board provides group major medical and life insurance for teachers and contributes monthly premiums of at least 75% of the employee's monthly premium for individual coverage. Dependent coverage is available at the employee's expense.
Athletic Guidelines
The Board is scheduled to consider approval of the Holmes District Schools Athletic Guidelines. The guidelines establish expectations for coaches and student-athletes and require compliance with Florida High School Athletic Association rules.
Key provisions include:
- Coaches and athletes are expected to demonstrate good sportsmanship and appropriate conduct.
- Recruiting by people associated with district athletic programs is prohibited.
- The Code of Student Conduct applies during athletic events.
- Head coaches are responsible for confirming that players are properly entered into the applicable system and eligible before their seasons begin.
- Students enrolled in the Graduation Assistance Program for disciplinary reasons are not eligible to participate in county athletics.
- Coaches are responsible for the care of uniforms, equipment, and facilities they use.
- Athletic purchases paid by schools are subject to an internal purchase-order and administrative-approval process.
Financial and Consent Items
The packet includes financial records and membership invoices associated with district business. The agenda places the district's consent action items under a single consent-agenda item.
Financial documentation includes a cash-posting report showing 42 checks totaling $424,190.49 and a separate report showing four wire transactions totaling $40,091.81.
The packet also contains invoices or supporting documents for several organizational memberships:
- Florida Association of District School Superintendents: $9,570.00 for 2026-2027 membership dues.
- Florida Association of School Safety Specialists: $3,600.00 for 2026-2027 membership dues.
- Small School District Council Consortium: $3,250.00 for 2026-2027 participation.
The Small School District Council Consortium materials include a resolution authorizing district participation for fiscal year 2026-2027 and payment of the $3,250.00 participation fee.
Athletic Travel
The Board is scheduled to consider out-of-state, overnight, or more-than-100-mile one-way athletic travel associated with four schedules:
- Holmes County High School football.
- Holmes County High School volleyball.
- Bonifay K-8 football.
- Bethlehem volleyball.
The supporting packet includes field-trip/bus request forms and athletic schedules. For Bonifay K-8, the packet lists a middle-school football schedule running from an August 18 jamboree at Graceville through an October 8 championship listed as TBA. Bethlehem's volleyball materials include a season schedule extending into October, including a district tournament and potential regional competition.
Personnel Recommendations
The agenda includes personnel recommendations for multiple district schools and programs. Three specific proposed actions are identified in the agenda:
- Bonifay K-8: Amend Lessie Perry's position from School Data I to Teacher, effective August 3, 2026.
- Holmes County High School: Hire Tracey M. Shaw as a Teacher, effective August 3, 2026.
- Ponce de Leon Elementary: Amend August R. Brown's resignation date from August 20, 2026 at 3:00 PM to July 20, 2026 at 3:00 PM.
The agenda also contains personnel headings for Bethlehem High School, Ponce de Leon High School, Poplar Springs High School, the Graduation Assistance Program, and the District Office, but the extracted agenda does not specify additional proposed actions under those headings.
What to Watch at the Meeting
The teacher salary-increase agreement is one of the packet's most concrete financial and personnel actions, with $134,995.48 proposed for equal distribution among qualifying teachers after eligibility is determined on August 25.
The Board is also expected to address several districtwide operating matters for 2026-2027. These include the personnel handbook, health insurance, and athletic guidelines, alongside athletic travel and specific staffing changes.
