Last month, Get The Coast met with Okaloosa Superintendent of Schools Marcus Chambers and Bluewater Elementary’s Principal Amy Klugh for an exclusive tour of the school. 

• The purpose of the tour was to showcase the updates and upgrades made possible by the half-cent sales tax, which has been a game changer for the school.

“We’re here today to show you what the half-cent sales tax has brought to Bluewater Elementary,” said Chambers. “School safety was the number one priority, and I’m proud to say that all 38 schools in the district have completed their [security] projects three years ahead of schedule.”

Standing in front of the new single point-of entry door at the school, Principal Klugh explained the new 1,700 square feet that has created a new front-side of the school. 

• “We were able to add 1,700 square feet to the front of the school and give our school resource officer their own office,” she said. “This also allowed us to give our school psychologist and mental health counselor their own space, instead of having to share with others.”

Chambers emphasized the multiple measures the school district has taken for school safety, including having “the number one school resource officer program in the state of Florida,” as well as enhanced video cameras, radio devices and perimeter fencing. 

“The single point-of-entry is a great example of the security measures we have in place,” said Chambers. “Families come in through the single point-of-entry, where they have a warm welcome but are also in a secure environment without direct access to the school.”

Klugh took us to the old front office and explained how the new construction allowed them to designate specific spaces for certain staff members. 

• “We now have a designated space for our math and literacy coaches, as well as our nurse, administration, guidance, and bookkeeping,” she said. “The front lobby is now a much safer space, as we can now meet and greet visitors to make sure they’re supposed to be on campus before they’re exposed to the rest of the school.”

The playground was the first project completed at Bluewater Elementary, and Klugh was thrilled to show it off. “Our old playground was 15 years old and had many broken pieces,” she said. “We were so excited to provide a new playground space for our 960 students, and they’ve been loving it.”

Chambers concluded by saying, “As superintendent, the safety of our students and employees is my top priority, and I’m grateful to the citizens of Okaloosa County for the half-cent sales tax.”

• “You can’t put a price on safety,” added Klugh. “The updates made to our school are invaluable to our faculty, students, and parents. Thank you, Okaloosa County, for giving our school a safe space.”