The Okaloosa County School Board unanimously approved a Resolution on Monday, August 11, 2025, committing to connect military students and families to the resources and services they need to ensure a successful school experience.
- During the meeting, military officials from Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Field, 7th Special Forces Group and Duke Field recognized the school district’s Purple Star Initiative and encouraged support for the resolution supporting military-connected students and their families.
Superintendent Marcus Chambers said the district has maintained its commitment to military families since the Purple Star program launched three years ago under Governor DeSantis and Representative Patt Maney. All 37 schools in the district achieved Purple Star recognition, with the district receiving Purple Star designation last year.
“We do not want this to simply be a recognition on a piece of paper. We want it to be about what we do,” Chambers said. “When our military is fighting for us and they go other places, we want to make sure that their families, their students, are comfortable here at home.”
The resolution acknowledges that 1.6 million children of active duty military members worldwide face unique challenges due to their parents’ service. Florida is home to approximately 70,000 active duty military members and their families. The Okaloosa County School District has one of the highest percentage of military children enrollment of any school district in Florida.
Several school board members shared their personal military connections during the meeting. Board member Brett Hinley described himself as an “Air Force brat” who moved frequently as a child. Board member Linda Evanchyk, who was also a military dependent, represents Florosa Elementary near Hurlburt Field.
- “You really can’t speak Okaloosa County without thinking about the partnership with our military,” Evanchyk said.
Board member Tim Bryant noted that all six branches of the military are represented in Okaloosa County, calling it “a unique melting pot of armed services” including Coast Guard, Space Force, Air Force, Army, Marines and Navy personnel.
Colonel Scott Hurrelbrink, Commander of the 919th Special Operations Wing at Duke Field, told the board that Purple Star designation “allows us to not worry about their education because we know that they’re being taken care of.”
Patrick Colloton, Deputy Director of the 7th Special Forces Group, said the Army’s location desirability index ranked the area number one in the entire Army. He noted that about 20% of their soldiers remain deployed outside the United States at any given time, with another 20-30% away for training or schools.
- “The service member is a variable in that child’s life. And what we look to in the communities and especially in the schools, is the constant,” Colloton said.
Military spouse Melissa Merrill, whose family moved to the area in 2011, thanked the school board for supporting military families through multiple deployments and separations.
“The warmth and the community that we feel here has carried us through all these years,” Merrill said. “There were times that I would reach out to teachers and I would be like, ‘I’m single parent, and right now I need your help‘. And they always stepped in.”
Elaine LaJeunesse, school liaison program manager at Eglin Air Force Base, said the district has developed best practices for the state of Florida, including a pre-arrival document for military families transferring to the area.
The resolution extends gratitude and respect to military members and their families for their commitment to the nation and commits the district to connecting military students and families to necessary resources and services.
The school board voted 5-0 to approve the resolution. Chambers presented commemorative school district coins to the military representatives following the vote.
