New Ponce de Leon school plan advances

The plan for a new Holmes County school to be constructed in Ponce De Leon is moving forward. The Ponce de Leon Town Council met in regular session Thursday, June 20, and heard an update from School Superintendent Buddy Brown.  Brown spoke on the process and timeline for the proposed K-12 school, which was approved by the school board in May. 

“We need good schools in our communities to attract families,” said Brown, who also emphasized the need to generate more new jobs to draw families to Ponce De Leon and surrounding areas. Brown told council members the Panhandle is seeing a rise in population because of rapid growth in Walton and other neighboring counties, stating that an efficient school with optimal opportunities will be essential.

The Council was informed that school district representatives will meet with the Florida Department of Education (DOE) Special Facilities Committee in late July or August to rank proposals from across the state. Funding recipients are expected to be announced by next April, when design of the new school should also be finalized. The school board is expected to request a total of $72 million from the FDOE when they meet in Tallahassee. 

Currently, the blueprints have not been finalized, but Brown states the plans should be final between December 2024 and February 2025. Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) rooms, and science labs with an extra extension to the building are reported to be under consideration to be included in the design. Planning ahead, the superintendent projected that the public could anticipate seeing construction beginning in October 2025.

“If we forget our past, then forget the future,” said Brown when addressing the occupancy and size of the school. “792 students can be held within the building, which is comparable to past numbers.”

Council member George Robertson asked about ensuring security for faculty and students. Brown replied with reassurance that the Holmes District School Board Office has explored new security measures within their staff that will also be implemented at the new school. In addition, Brown and the council agreed the town could benefit if the school could house community events like the town’s signature event, the Collard Festival.

“We’re trying to build a school that’s attractive, a school that’s practical, and a school that we can afford,” said Brown.