Holmes

The Holmes County school district in Florida serves approximately 3,013 students across 8 schools, including elementary, high, and alternative programs, and is ranked 55th out of 70 districts in the state, indicating significant challenges.

Several schools stand out for their performance. Ponce De Leon High School is the district's biggest success story, jumping from a 1-star to a 3-star rating and reaching the 63rd percentile, with exceptional 10th-grade ELA proficiency at 77%. Bethlehem High School, despite being an alternative school, leads the district in Biology 1 (86%) and US History (80%) EOC proficiency and boasts a 96% graduation rate. In contrast, the Graduation Assistance Program faces severe challenges, with a 44.4% graduation rate, 80.5% chronic absenteeism, and 0% proficiency in some subjects. Holmes Virtual-Franchise FLVS is an outlier with the lowest per-student spending ($2,066) and lowest chronic absenteeism (2.4%), serving a different demographic.

Key district-wide issues include high chronic absenteeism averaging 39.4% and a high poverty rate with 62.7% of students on free/reduced lunch. Math proficiency is a consistent weakness, especially in upper grades, with 8th-grade math below 40% at most schools. The district's average graduation rate is 92.3%, but this is skewed by the Graduation Assistance Program; excluding that school, the rate jumps to 96.3%. The success of alternative schools like Poplar Springs High School and Bethlehem High School challenges assumptions, as they outperform many traditional schools in subjects like Civics (87% at Poplar Springs) and Geometry (62%).