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Board approves attorney contract change, personnel items, calendar and field trip; monthly financials accepted
Summary
At its meeting the Highlands County School Board voted to terminate its contract with Swain, Harris & Woll and contract with Nash Legal PA; it approved personnel recommendations (one abstention), accepted monthly financial statements and approved Lake Placid High School's out-of-state trip to the Sunbelt Ag Expo.
The Highlands County School Board approved multiple motions during the meeting, including a change in the school board attorney contract, personnel recommendations, monthly financial statements and a student field trip.
Legal services: The board voted to terminate the school board's legal-services contract with Swain, Harris & Woll, P.A., effective Oct. 31, 2025; to enter a contract with Nash Legal, P.A.; and to authorize transfer of files and any trust-account balance from Swain, Harris & Woll to Nash Legal. The board voted on the three items together and approved them. The motion was moved by Mrs. Howerton and seconded by Dr. Durrance.
Personnel: The board approved the superintendent's personnel recommendations. Mrs. Howerton moved approval and Dr. Durrance seconded. During the roll call Mr. Martin said he would abstain because his wife, Annette Martin, appears on the roster and said Form 8B had been filed; other members voting were recorded as yes and the motion carried.
Monthly financials: The board accepted monthly financial statements for the periods ending June 30, 2025 and July 31, 2025. Stephanie Hanks of finance presented a packet showing an ending financial-condition ratio of 3.4% for the prior fiscal year, and July revenue of about $5,700,000 with expenditures of a little more than $2,000,000 to date. Trustees moved and seconded the approval and the board voted to accept the statements.
School calendar: The board approved the 02/2027 school-year calendar after a motion from Mr. Martin and a second from Mr. Whitton.
Field trip: The consent agenda included approval of Lake Placid High School's out-of-state field trip to the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Georgia, Oct. 14–16. Students and teachers from Lake Placid High spoke to the board about educational and career benefits of the trip; teachers said they accepted 10 student applications from second- through fourth-year agriculture students.
Adopting the agenda and consent items: The board adopted the meeting agenda and approved the consent agenda, which included the field trip and other routine items.
Where provided, roll-call votes were recorded on the public record. Several motions passed unanimously by roll call; the personnel vote included one recorded abstention. No motions in this set failed or were tabled.
