SCHOOL

New principals appointed at Fort Walton Beach High School and Pryor Middle School

The Okaloosa County School Board appointed Jason McClelland as the new principal at Pryor Middle School and Lindsey Smith as the new principal at Fort Walton Beach High School.

• Superintendent Marcus Chambers recommended both candidates to the board at its meeting Dec. 11.

McClelland has worked in the Okaloosa County School System since 2005. He was first hired to teach science in grades 6-8 at Bruner Middle School. In 2008, then-Principal John Spolski appointed McClelland as the Dean of Students at Bruner, starting his journey into administration.

He became assistant principal at Destin Middle School in 2011, then moved to Niceville High School as assistant principal in 2013. In 2015, McClellan got his first principal job leading Mary Esther Elementary.

• “For over 18 years, Mr. McClelland has worked with amazing people from the Okaloosa County School District. He has had the privilege of working with some of the best in the county and is honored to have had their support along this journey to where he is today,” Chambers said.

McClelland thanked Chambers, the board and his family for their support over the years.

“I’m excited to begin working with the Pryor Middle School teachers, staff, students, parents and community. I know I have big shoes to fill but I do look forward to that task,” McClelland said. “It has been an amazing seven and a half years at Mary Esther Elementary. I’ve learned so much from each one of them there. So I want to thank my Thunderbird family for allowing me to be part of something special. I’ll never forget the memories we made together.”

He went on to also thank former principals he worked under for influencing him as a leader, along with his wife and daughter for their support.

Current Pryor Principal Brooke Barron has accepted a role at the District level where she will be the Director 1 of Okaloosa County’s schools Kindergarten through 12th Grade Curriculum and Instruction. She begins in January.

New principal at The Fort

In introducing Mrs. Lindsey Smith, Chambers noted the very large turnout of family, friends, and students in attendance for their new principal.

Mr. Smith is a graduate of the Okaloosa County School District. Her family settled in the area in 1995, where she attended Lewis Middle School, Meigs Middle School and graduated Choctawhatchee High School.

• She earned her bachelor’s in secondary English education at Florida State University in 2006 and was hired at Fort Walton Beach High School to teach 10th-, 11th- and 12th-grade English at varying levels as well as thinking skills and creative writing.

Smith completed a master’s degree in educational leadership at University of West Florida in 2011. Her first administrative role came as assistant principal at Bruner Middle School.

She returned to Fort Walton Beach High School as an assistant principal in 2017 before becoming principal at Lewis School in January 2021.

• “Mrs. Smith is excited to rejoin the Viking family and is ready to passionately serve the Fort Walton Beach High School community, faculty, students and staff,” Chambers said.

Smith thanked the board and Chambers for their confidence in appointing her.

“I am grateful for the leaders who have helped to shape who I have become as an educator. Many of those people are in this room today, and I am thankful for what they saw in me and for their unwavering encouragement,” she said.

She also thanked the staff at Lewis School, her family, husband Chester Smith and their two children for supporting her along the way.

“I know it isn’t lost on anyone that this is a homecoming. My Viking family and community have been with me from the beginning as a first-year teacher (and) as I navigated into administration and have helped to mold the leader that I am now,” Smith said. “I am thrilled to be returning to The Fort and I’m excited to begin this new chapter. Go Vikings!”

Current FWBHS Principal John Spolski has accepted a new position at the District level where he will be an Assistant Superintendent.

SCHOOL

Okaloosa School District eyes 30-acres in Deer Moss Creek for future Niceville growth

The Okaloosa County School District is looking ahead to future growth in the Niceville area and how that could impact schools.

• During a school board workshop on Monday, Deputy Superintendent Steve Horton presented information on current and potential land acquisitions across the district, including 30 acres in the Deer Moss Creek development in Niceville.

Superintendent Marcus Chambers noted most schools in the district have reached maximum capacity or exceed capacity. Aside from recent land purchases for future schools in Crestview and Destin, Chambers said the district must also prepare for growth in Niceville.

• “We need to be prepared for a new school if and when the time comes,” Chambers said at the meeting.

According to Horton, the 30-acre tract is located in the northeastern portion of Deer Moss Creek development, which he described as mostly undisturbed land ripe for residential development.

While enrollment has been flat or declining slightly in recent years at Niceville-area elementary and middle schools, Horton said the Deer Moss Creek development could bring population growth over time.

“There are more and more homes that are going into Deer Moss Creek,” he said. “If you look at Niceville, you’re seeing a few going up here or there, but this is the kind of the undisturbed land where there’s a lot of ability to produce new homes.”

The school board has a public hearing scheduled for January regarding the potential land-swap agreement between the Okaloosa County School Board and Ruckel Properties. The School Board would swap 25-acres off of Highway 20 E for the 30-acre site, paying the additional difference. 

• Horton said the real estate contract also gives the district the option to buy an additional 10 adjoining acres within 12 months, though he said that extra land is not needed immediately.

While rising enrollments might eventually require a new school in the area, Horton said it would not be financially prudent to build one in the short-term based on the latest enrollment figures. But having the land already acquired for future use makes sense from a planning perspective, he said.

The parcel could potentially house a new elementary school, which would also help relieve overcrowding at nearby schools like Bluewater Elementary. Bluewater currently relies on a number of portable classrooms to accommodate its student population.

School Board Member Tim Bryant asked whether building classroom additions could make sense at Bluewater and other schools that may not require entirely new campuses.

• Horton pointed to Plew Elementary as a successful example, where construction currently underway on a new cafetorium building will allow the old cafeteria to be converted into classroom space.

But looking down the road, Chambers said having enough land for a new elementary school in the Niceville area will still be important to accommodate rising enrollment driven by the Deer Moss Creek development in future years.

Most existing schools in the Niceville area sit on relatively small parcels, well short of the 30 acres generally preferred for new elementary schools today. Niceville High School, for example, is on a 19-acre site, while Ruckel Middle School occupies less than 10 acres.

• “There’s not a lot of land in the Niceville area to continue to grow,” Chambers told the board. “So again, to be able to carve out the potential of 30 acres in the Niceville area I think is critical to allow us future growth going forward.”

School Board Member Linda Evanchyk agreed it’s prudent for the district to acquire land when possible, even if construction plans aren’t imminent. She noted the district could always sell parcels later if needed to generate funds for other capital projects.

Evanchyk also observed that minimum land requirements have increased over time as educational programming has expanded with more specialized spaces beyond just classrooms.

School Board Member Diane Kelley added that finding suitable school sites is uniquely challenging in Niceville due to geographical constraints like the bay and nearby military bases.

• “We are completely landlocked, either by the water or the military bases, both of which we are tickled to have, but it does present a difficulty when you’re looking to purchase land,” Kelley said.

Horton said the school district has been working for years to secure the 30-acre Deer Moss Creek site.

“We believe it’s a great spot for a school location going forward. It’s just a matter of timing,” he told the board.

Planning for growth elsewhere in the county

The school district is also looking at purchasing around 6 acres of land near Niceville High School and Ruckel Middle School, across Palm Boulevard just south of the Post Office. 

• This would allow expansion options on those existing campuses if enrollment growth necessitates additional classroom space in the future. Possibilities include constructing new buildings on current sports fields and relocating displaced athletic facilities across the street to the newly acquired parcel.

In Crestview, the district recently bought 80 acres along the Western Crestview Bypass for a planned new K-8 school. The current plan is to build the new school, then in the future, build a second school on the same property. The K-8 school would convert to a middle school (6-8), and the new school will be an elementary school (K-5).

And finally, the school board is moving forward with acquiring a 7.6-acre site adjacent to Destin Elementary. This will enable enhanced student drop-off and pick-up access at the school, easing traffic issues in that area. The extra space will also allow for more outdoor space.

The Okaloosa County School Board is set to vote on moving forward with the land purchase inside Deer Moss Creek at its January meeting.

SCHOOL

NWFSC announced Dr. Henry Mack as Vice President for Academic Affairs

Northwest Florida State College announced on Tuesday the appointment of Dr. Henry Mack as Vice President for Academic Affairs.

• Dr. Mack brings a wealth of experience to the role, having served as the higher education and workforce system head for the State of Florida for four years.  

As chancellor, Dr. Mack was responsible for Florida’s public and nonpublic institutions of higher education—overseeing a $3 billion dollar budget with a combined K-20 student enrollment of 1.5 million, annually.

He led the Divisions of Florida Colleges, Career and Adult Education, Vocational Rehabilitation, Blind Services, the Florida Department of Education’s Office of Workforce Education and Educational Alignment, and the Commission for Independent Education.  

“I am both grateful for and excited by the opportunity to serve the students, faculty, and staff of Northwest Florida State College,” said Dr. Mack. “As a first-generation college student and native Floridian, I look forward to helping NWFSC achieve continued excellence and impact.”  

Dr. Mack was directly responsible for the State of Florida’s workforce education strategy, budget, operations, policy and finance, grants and administration, and, together with the Governor’s Office, responsible for all higher education and workforce education legislative and policy priorities.  

• NWFSC President Dr. Devin Stephenson expressed his enthusiasm for the new hire. “We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Mack to the NWFSC family. His experience and expertise will be invaluable as we continue to strive for excellence in our academic programs.”  

Dr. Mack earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in theology and philosophy from the Catholic University of America and a doctorate in education administration and philosophy of education from the University of Miami.  

GIVING BACK

Toy drive for shelter dogs at the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society this Friday

The public is invited to spread Christmas cheer this Friday, December 15, as Santa’s sleigh brings toys and goodies to the dogs at the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society in Fort Walton Beach.

Attorney Whitney Smith, with Fleet, Smith & Freeman in Shalimar, is asking the public to meet around 2 p.m. on Friday at the animal shelter to donate pet toys, blankets, fitted sheets and towels for the shelter’s 200 dogs. 

• Smith noted that the shelter is “in desperate need” of such donations.

Volunteers are also needed to escort the dogs to the ‘sleigh’, where they will be able to pick out toys for themselves. Smith said she’s hopeful this will be “a great event for volunteers and pups.”

Donations can be dropped off before Friday at Smith’s law firm, Fleet, Smith & Freeman; Fort Walton Beach Chiropractic; or thrIVefwb.

The donation drive and toy sleigh event come as the BISSELL Pet Foundation holds reduced-fee adoption events at over 380 shelters nationwide, including PAWS, from Dec. 1-17. People can adopt pets for $25 rather than the typical fee under the “Empty the Shelters – Holiday Hope” initiative.

PARKS+REC

Crestview announces Brady Peters as new Parks and Recreation Director, continuing family legacy

The City of Crestview announced Tuesday the appointment of Brady Peters as its new Parks and Recreation Director, continuing his family’s legacy in the field.

Peters represents the third generation of his family to lead parks and recreation departments in Okaloosa County.

• His grandfather, Gene Peters, previously held the same position for the City of Fort Walton Beach. And his father, Jeff Peters, served as Fort Walton Beach’s Parks and Recreation Director from 2006 until 2022, when he became the city manager.

“I’ve been around recreation my whole life, and I’ve always dreamed of becoming a recreation director since my dad took over when I was five years old,” Brady Peters said.

Having grown up immersed in parks and recreation, Peters brings a lifelong passion to his new role overseeing Crestview’s youth and adult sports programs, recreational facilities and promotion of healthy lifestyles among residents.

“You see how much recreation helps the public — whether keeping kids out of trouble in the streets, giving other kids opportunities to make friends, bringing a lot of tourism dollars to our area,” Peters said. “I’ve been blessed to be able to see that growing up throughout my whole life.”

Peters’ hands-on experience ranges from raking fields and picking up trash to wanting everything around the parks “to look nice” and be “perfect,” his father said.

• “I think that’s ingrained in him and he appreciates how things look and how they operate,” Jeff Peters said. “And I think he just genuinely has a passion for recreation and it is on display everyday when he shows up to work.”

For Jeff Peters, his son landing the Crestview job represents a proud moment after years of watching Brady develop his passion through recreation.

“Getting the opportunity that he has gotten in Crestview is definitely something his mom and I are real proud of,” Jeff Peters said. “He’s worked hard for it.”

The Peters’ connection to Okaloosa County spans decades. The Peters’ family moved to Fort Walton Beach in 1974 and Gene Peters became the athletic director. The elder Peters held that position until 1992, when he was promoted to recreation director — serving until 2006.

• That set the stage for Jeff Peters’ hiring as recreation director upon his father’s retirement.

For his part, Brady Peters brings an extensive background in sports management and athletic program coordination to his new leadership role in Crestview. Peters holds a bachelor’s degree in sports management from the University of West Florida and a master’s degree in sports administration from Arkansas State University.

Before joining Crestview in September, Peters served as athletic coordinator at Northwest Florida State College. There, he played a pivotal role in organizing and enhancing various sports programs.

Crestview City Manager Tim Bolduc cited Peters’ “impressive academic background and hands-on experience” as an ideal fit to advance the city’s recreation department.

• “His impressive academic background and hands-on experience in athletic coordination align perfectly with our vision,” Bolduc said. “We believe he will contribute significantly to the growth and development of our Parks and Recreation Department.”

Peters shared enthusiasm about bringing innovation to Crestview while leaning on his father’s depth of expertise.

“In my competitive spirit, you always want to be better than him so we’re going to try to do that throughout my time here and hopefully I can make that happen,” laughed Peters. “But my dad’s been the greatest resource my two and a half months here.”

Peters described big plans on tap in Crestview, including air conditioning upgrades for the recreation center gym along with construction of a new indoor/outdoor sports complex.

• “I’m sure the residents in the city of Crestview will enjoy the new air conditioning, along with building a new sports complex, indoor and outdoor, which I think will be very beneficial for Crestview,” Peters said.

The short-term focus remains on delivering existing programs, such has youth basketball going on now.

“We actually just had our first games this past Saturday,” Peters said . “We have 750 kids in our program — 75 teams playing and we’ll run that through the middle of February.”

• Beyond sports, upgrades also are in store for the Crestview Senior Center. “We have a lot in the works on the next few years,” Peters said.

After starting as recreation deputy director in late September, Peters saw his dream realized before Thanksgiving with the promotion to lead the department — carrying on his family’s parks and recreation legacy in Okaloosa County.

“That’s been my dream to become a recreation director for as long as I can remember,” Peters said. “I am honored and excited to join the City of Crestview as the Parks and Recreation Director. We have huge things in store to make Crestview citizens proud to live and play here.”