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Good morning!
It’s all about Okaloosa Schools today:
- Okaloosa School District celebrates its Purple Star designation for military family support while making significant expansion moves across the county. Fifth grade classes may return to Eglin Elementary, construction continues on schedule for Crestview’s new Pineview School, and Destin Elementary progresses on a 30-classroom addition that will bring fifth graders back to campus.
SCHOOL
Okaloosa School District considers returning fifth grade to Eglin Elementary School
The Okaloosa County School Board approved a motion Monday to advertise a public hearing regarding the proposed re-missioning of Eglin Elementary School to add fifth grade and operate as a K-5 elementary school after the 2024-2025 school year.
- The change would alter attendance zones for students residing on Eglin Air Force Base proper who are currently zoned to attend fifth grade at Lewis School.
Superintendent Marcus Chambers explained during the board meeting that the decision stemmed from a request by Eglin leadership.
“This is something that we then looked into. We looked at allocations, we looked at impact to school data,” Chambers said.
School Board Member Linda Evanchyk noted that the change would return the school to its previous configuration.
- “Aren’t we just reverting back to where it was before?” she asked.
Chambers confirmed that Eglin Elementary is currently a K-4 school after fifth grade was previously moved to Lewis School, which serves K-8 students. If approved after the advertisement period, Eglin Elementary would become a K-5 school again, while Lewis would continue to maintain a fifth-grade program.
According to the draft resolution, students entering fifth grade in the 2025-2026 school year who reside within the geographical boundaries of Eglin Air Force Base proper would be zoned to attend Eglin Elementary instead of Lewis School.
If the board approves the resolution after the public hearing, the new attendance zones would take effect for the 2025-2026 school year and remain in place until further modified by board action.
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SCHOOL
Crestview’s new Pineview School construction progressing on schedule
Construction of Pineview School in Crestview is on track and progressing well, according to Assistant Superintendent Grant Meyer who provided an update during the Okaloosa County School Board workshop on March 24.
- Meyer presented aerial drone footage showing significant progress at the construction site, with the foundation complete and the first level of block already in place for two classroom wings.
“There’s still a lot of work going on behind the scenes and at the construction sites,” Meyer told board members. “Last week over spring break, we were out there and progress continues. We are on track and we’re looking good at the moment.”
Meyer noted that underground utilities, including sewer lines, storm water, and electrical systems, have been started and are proceeding well. The only current challenge is securing temporary power to the site.
“One hangup at the Pineview site is we’re still waiting on temporary power,” Meyer said. “Dr. Smith has been in contact with Florida Power and Light.” Meyer explained that the new bypass and new roads have complicated getting power to the site, requiring the use of generators in the interim.
In response to questions from School Board Member Linda Evanchyk about the campus layout, Meyer described a large complex consisting of multiple buildings, including three classroom wings, an administrative building housing the media center and cafeteria, a building for band, chorus and gymnasium, and a separate building dedicated to Career and Technical Education (CTE).
- School Board Member Tim Bryant confirmed that Arena Road, being built by the city of Crestview, is now open all the way to where it connects with the new bypass leading to the school site, improving access to the construction area.
The K-8 school, scheduled to open in August 2026, will accommodate approximately 1,000 students initially, with capacity for 1,200. The new facility is expected to provide relief to overcrowded schools throughout the Crestview area.
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Join the women making $100,000 impacts on our local community
Changing lives in our community one woman at a time. The idea is simple: 100 women donate $1,000 each to form a $100,000 high-IMPACT grant to help transform local nonprofit organizations.
- Since 2012, Impact100 NWF has given away $4.9 million dollars in grants to local nonprofits in Okaloosa and Walton Counties. Area nonprofit organizations are invited to apply for these grants.
Impact100’s goal is to have at least 500 members so that they are able to give away one $100,000 grant in each of the 5 categories: Arts and Culture; Education; Environment, Recreation & Preservation; Family; and Health & Wellness.
The organization is also very grateful for their business sponsors who assist with events as well as sponsoring memberships. If you are not a woman in the local area but want to help, please reach out as well!
Upcoming membership enrollment events:
- March 31st: Join Impact100 for an Immersive Art Experience at BeachWorx Destin 5:30 – 7:30
- April 17th: Join Impact100 at The Pavilion at Eagles Nest, Blackwater Golf Course, Crestview from 5:30- 7:30 pm
- April 22nd: Join Impact100 for our final membership event of the 2025 enrollment period at The Beach House in Miramar Beach from 5:30- 7:30
They also have numerous Pop Up Events in March and April throughout Okaloosa and Walton Counties. Join today and make an IMPACT in your local community! You can also email them at Impactnwf@impactnwf.org with any questions.
SCHOOL
Destin Elementary’s 30 classroom addition progresses, will bring fifth grade back to campus
Construction of a major addition to Destin Elementary School is well underway, with foundation work completed for a new two-story, 30-classroom building, Assistant Superintendent Grant Meyer reported at Monday’s Okaloosa County School Board workshop.
- Meyer presented aerial photographs showing significant progress at the construction site, including foundation work for the classroom addition, an outline of new roads, and a retention pond on newly purchased property.
The expansion is being built on a 7.6-acre parcel adjacent to the school that the district purchased last year. In addition to classrooms, the project includes a new entrance road, roundabout, and parking improvements.
School Board Member Linda Evanchyk noted the scope of the addition. “Thirty classrooms is like a whole other school,” she said.
Superintendent Marcus Chambers explained that the expansion will allow fifth-grade students to return to Destin Elementary from Destin Middle School.
- “This right here is about bringing the 5th grade back to Destin. So a whole other grade level,” Chambers said. “There will be capacity for K-5 at Destin.”
The project is part of a broader initiative to address capacity issues across the district. According to Chambers, the expansion will also help relieve overcrowding at Destin Middle School, which has grown from about 500 students “way back in the day” to more than 800 currently.
“The overwhelming majority of our schools are over capacity,” Chambers said. “This is the process of helping to remedy that…as well as other projects to come to substantially reduce portables throughout the county.”
The Destin Elementary expansion was approved as part of a $175 million bond issuance. When completed, the school will house grades K through five, with the new addition specifically designed for grades 3-5.
Construction is expected to be completed by August 2026.
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Military leaders celebrate Okaloosa School’s ‘Purple Star District’ designation
Okaloosa County School District celebrated its designation as a 2024 Florida Purple Star School District during a school board meeting Monday, highlighting the district’s commitment to supporting military students and families.
- Military leaders from Hurlburt Field, Eglin Air Force Base and Duke Field joined school officials to recognize the achievement, which positions Okaloosa as one of only five districts among Florida’s 67 counties to receive the distinguished designation.
“One of five school districts across the state of Florida to be a Purple Star district, and we could not be more honored,” said Superintendent Marcus Chambers during the ceremony. “It’s not about having a distinction, it’s about truly doing what the Purple Star mission is, and it’s about providing a welcoming atmosphere.”
The Purple Star School District Designation, established by the Florida Legislature and signed into law in April 2024, recognizes districts that provide coordination of services for military families and support their unique needs as students relocate due to parents’ change in duty stations.
The designation indicates all 37 of Okaloosa’s schools meet requirements to be named Purple Star Schools of Distinction, a process that required significant coordination across the district.
- “We have 37 schools that we were able to get to become a Purple Star school,” Chambers explained, noting that initially only 35 were recognized until an email issue was resolved with the state.
Col. Patrick Dierig, commander of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, emphasized the impact on military families who frequently relocate.
“28.6% of the students at Niceville High School are military connected,” Dierig said. “For those of us who signed on the dotted line to serve, we did that as a choice for ourselves, but our children didn’t sign the dotted line.”
Dierig, who mentioned his experience with “15 or 16 deployments and 15 or 16 moves,” added: “My number one concern was always, who’s going to welcome my children? Thank you for wrapping your arms around our children when we’re gone.”
Okaloosa County serves the highest percentage of military students among Florida counties, according to district officials. The district’s proximity to Hurlburt Field, Eglin Air Force Base and Duke Field makes military support particularly important.
Several school board members shared personal connections to military life. Board member Brett Hinely identified himself as an “Air Force brat” and former member of the 919th Special Operations Wing. Board member Tim Bryant described himself as an “Army brat” whose father served 23 years.
- “I had to move from Fort Gordon, Georgia to Sacramento, California in the middle of my senior year,” Bryant recalled. “Being a military kid, you’re very resilient.”
Board member Parker Destin noted that while he wasn’t from a military family, he grew up in the Okaloosa County School system where “well over two-thirds” of his classmates were from military families.
“We are a direct reflection, and our success is a direct reflection, of our military presence, the military community, the stability that it brings to our community, the high academic achievement, the attitude, and the culture,” Destin said.
Lt. Col. Mensen of Eglin Air Force Base shared his family’s experience with the district.
- “My son has attended Plew Elementary and now Ruckel Middle School, and my daughter will soon graduate from Niceville High School,” Mensen said. “They say that military kids, on average move around seven times, and my daughter can attest to this as she’s moved eight times.”
Mensen added that prior to moving to Okaloosa, his daughter had lived in “four countries, fifth move, and sixth school in seven years,” but found “something special” in Okaloosa where “teachers and staff welcomed her with open arms providing the support and stability she needed to thrive.”
Col. Scott Hurrelbrink, commander of the 919th Special Operations Wing at Duke Field, called the recognition “a crowning achievement.”
“It is so important that you care for the military folks, because it allows us then to worry about our jobs and our task at hand, whether they’re here or whether they’re deployed,” Hurrelbrink said. “It says so much about your character, how you take care of folks and supporting us.”
Governor Ron DeSantis announced in December 2024 that Okaloosa County School District had received the Purple Star District designation as part of Florida’s commitment to being the most military-friendly state in the nation.
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