TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Voters in Calhoun County will head to the polls Aug. 18 to make their pick for the District 2 seat for the county’s School Board in this year’s midterm primary election. While school board races are non-partisan and typically may not receive as much attention as larger, statewide elections in midterm years, the people elected to these positions make decisions that directly impact students, families, and teachers in communities throughout Florida’s Big Bend, especially Calhoun County.
School board members help decide district policies, approve the district’s budget, oversee the district’s superintendent, and make important decisions about academics, school safety, and how district resources are used.
According to the Calhoun County School District, its goal is to give students a quality education while preparing them for success after graduation. The school board plays a major role in making decisions that help the district reach those goals.
The candidates running for the District 2 seats have officially qualified for the 2026 election and are expected to share their experience, priorities, and plans for the district throughout the campaign.
The two candidates running for the seat are Scott Barton and Ray Howell. Howell is running for re-election for the District 2 seat after being elected in 2022. No publicly available campaign website was available for Howell. So far, according to publicly available financial reports, He has received $10,100 in campaign contributions through two payments made to himself for the campaign.
In a post on Facebook, Barton mentioned growing up in Altha and graduating from Altha High School. He went on to write in the post how Calhoun County remains his home, and with his grandchildren now attending local schools, supporting Calhoun County schools is very meaningful to him.
“I care deeply about the future, growth, and safety of Calhoun County schools,” Barton wrote. As for Barton, publicly available financial reports show he’s received $2,500 in contributions. This was through a single payment made to himself for his District 2 campaign.
This year's District 2 race comes at a time when many Florida school districts are dealing with issues like improving student achievement, recruiting and retaining teachers, school safety, mental health support, and making sure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely.
Leviah Henry is a student journalist representing Florida A&M University’s School of Journalism & Graphic Communication in the Florida Elections Reporting Partnership. You can reach them at leviah1.henry@famu.edu.
This story was produced in partnership with nonpartisan news organizations and universities across the state working to provide information about the 2026 elections. Learn more about the Florida Elections Reporting Partnership at floridaelections.org.
