Local officials and community leaders gathered Thursday morning to break ground on Pineview School, launching construction of Okaloosa County School District’s first new school since 2008.

• The ceremony, which featured presentations by the Crestview High School Junior ROTC and chorus, represented the culmination of six years of planning and community support, according to Superintendent Marcus Chambers.

“Six years ago, we set out on a venture. We said that we need to look at a half-cent sales tax for Okaloosa County,” Chambers said. “Because of the community, because of the citizens today, we’ve raised over $40 million more than anticipated.”

While Pineview School itself isn’t funded by the half-cent sales tax, Chambers explained how the tax initiative made the project possible. “This project that you see behind me… it’s not a half-cent sales tax project, but because of the half-cent sales tax project, it’s made our capital budget even stronger,” he said.

• The impact of the tax extends beyond this new school. “Throughout this district, we’re upgrading our facilities,” Chambers said. “You’re seeing roofs that are being replaced, air conditioning systems that are being replaced, we’re having parking, paving, [and] none of this would have been possible without the half-cent sales tax.”

The new 1,200-student K-8 campus comes at a critical time for the district. While educational experts recommend planning new schools when existing facilities reach 80% capacity, Chambers said almost every school in Okaloosa County is operating at 95% capacity or higher, with many exceeding 100%.

When Pineview opens in August 2026, it will enroll approximately 1,000 students, providing immediate relief to overcrowded schools while leaving room for future growth, according to Chambers. 

• “Almost every elementary school in the Crestview area is going to be impacted. Both middle schools will be impacted,” Chambers said. “There’s going to be more room at the elementaries. There’s going to be more room at the middle schools because this school behind me is going to be built.”

The state-of-the-art facility will feature modern amenities including specialized band and chorus rooms, a media center, and advanced classroom technology. The campus design includes two-story classroom wings, a gymnasium with PE/Athletic locker rooms, and a cafeteria designed as an Enhanced Hurricane Protection Area.

School Board Member Linda Evanchyk, who represents District 3 where the school will be located, emphasized how the project fulfills promises made to the community during the 2020 sales tax referendum.

• “As board members, many years down the way, it never crossed our minds that in 2024 we would be breaking ground and have this new school by ’26,” Evanchyk said. “Today is one more example of how we’re keeping promises to our students and our community.”

The school’s name, chosen through a collaborative process involving administrators and students, reflects both the area’s natural features and its historical significance. Located west of the new Crestview bypass on a 49-acre portion of an 80-acre parcel, the site showcases the region’s distinctive elevation and abundant pine trees.

“The pine tree is deeply woven into Crestview’s area’s identity,” Evanchyk explained. “At the turn of the 20th century, when our county was getting started, which was started in 1915, lumber and turpentine were the major economic factors here.”

The project represents part of a broader district-wide modernization initiative. “You go to Laurel Hill all the way down to the beaches of Destin, [and] you’re seeing classroom additions, you’re seeing new multi-purpose buildings,” Chambers said. “You’re seeing cafetoriums that we used to call cafeterias because now it’s a cafeteria and an auditorium all in one.”

• The site includes a curved parent pickup and drop-off area on the north side, with bus pickup on the south side. A frontage road will run the length of the property, allowing for future expansion. The remaining acreage could accommodate an additional school when needed, with plans to potentially transform the K-8 facility into a dedicated middle school.

Assistant Superintendent Grant Meyer acknowledged the collaborative effort behind the project, particularly highlighting the work of the district’s Facility Department with the city of Crestview and county stakeholders.

“This school is not going to just be brick and mortars,” Meyer said. “It’s going to be where students can grow. Dreams are going to be built. Relationships will be built.”