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Nine Okaloosa County schools earn state excellence recognition

The Florida Department of Education has honored nine Okaloosa County schools for maintaining high performance rankings over multiple years.

Jared Williams

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Nine schools in the Okaloosa County School District have been named 2024-25 Schools of Excellence by the Florida Department of Education.

The recognition is awarded to schools that have consistently ranked in the 80th percentile or higher for at least two of the last three school years based on their school grade calculation.

The honored schools include:

Niceville High School
Ruckel Middle School
Okaloosa STEMM Academy
Northwest Florida Ballet Académie
Bluewater Elementary School
Destin Elementary School
Edge Elementary School
Florosa Elementary School
Plew Elementary School

Photo courtesy of the Okaloosa County School District

“We are incredibly proud of these schools for once again being named Schools of Excellence,” Superintendent Marcus Chambers said. “This recognition is a direct reflection of the hard work and dedication of our students, educators, and school leaders.”

The Schools of Excellence designation represents one of the state’s most prestigious honors for K-12 institutions.

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