New principals announced as Floate retires at HMS

DeSoto County School District board members approved and announced personnel changes in administration at Hernando Middle School and DeSoto Central Primary School during a special called meeting on Tuesday, May 27.

It was announced that Hernando Middle School principal Dr. Jerry Floate was retiring from the position. Floate was in his 25th year in education, beginning as a special education teacher, leading to begin in administration as an assistant principal at Lake Cormorant High School for one year, followed by five years as head principal at Olive Branch Middle School.

In recognition of his contributions, Dr. Floate was named the DeSoto County Schools Administrator of the Year in January 2024.

Replacing Floate at Hernando Middle School as head principal will be Jennifer Hodges, who this school year was the seventh-grade administrator and oversaw the mathematics department there.

Hodges, this school year, completed 14 years in education and this was her fourth year as an assistant principal. Previous to that, Hodges was a first-grade teacher at DeSoto Central Primary School and a sixth-grade math teacher at DeSoto Central Middle School.

Part of Hodges’ initial duties with the new position will be to oversee the middle school’s move next door to the current high school building with the high school transferring to a new campus on McIngvale Road.

During the special meeting on Tuesday, board members also approved the appointment of Kim Bey as head principal at DeSoto Central Primary School. Bey has been the assistant principal at DeSoto Central Middle School.

Leighanne Wamble this year was the head principal at DeSoto Central Primary School and is also retiring with the end of the school year.