The Okaloosa County School Board on Tuesday night unanimously approved naming the district’s new K-8 school in Crestview “Pineview School.”

• The name emerged after a collaborative process involving input from district employees and students, Board Member Linda Evanchyk said during the meeting. The decision reflects the property’s distinct features, including its hilly terrain and abundant pine trees.

“Truly, the view is the Pineview,” Evanchyk said, referencing the Florida pine trees in that area. “Being in the location in North Crestview, that kind of pulls from that, and we just thought that it fit.”

Superintendent Marcus Chambers noted the significance of the name’s connection to the surrounding landscape. “When you go down that bypass, lanes and lanes, miles and miles of pines,” he said. “When you drive out of that area and there’s elevation, you can see down… The view there is pretty gorgeous.”

Board Member Tim Bryant highlighted the historical significance of the name, noting Crestview’s ties to the pine industry. “Pine trees were one of the big industries in the area with logging, but turpentine was really big,” Bryant said, adding that Crestview sits at one of Florida’s highest points at about 270 feet above sea level.

The new 1,200-student facility, set to open in August 2026, will be constructed on 49 acres of an 80-acre parcel west of the new Crestview bypass. It marks the district’s first new school construction since 2007-2008.

• The two-story school will feature classroom wings, a gymnasium, band and chorus rooms, a media center, and a cafeteria designed as an Enhanced Hurricane Protection Area. The school aims to address overcrowding in the area’s elementary and middle schools.

While the school’s name is now official, decisions about the mascot and school colors will be made later with input from the future principal and administrative team, Chambers said.