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Okaloosa County School District, Florida

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Okaloosa County School District
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Fort Walton Beach, Florida
District details
Superintendent: Marcus Chambers
# of school board members: 5
Website: Link

Okaloosa County School District is a school district in Florida.

Click on the links below to learn more about the school district's...

Superintendent

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 		This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates.

Marcus Chambers is the superintendent of the Okaloosa County School District. Chambers was appointed superintendent in 2019 by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).[1] Chambers' previous career experience includes working as the assistant superintendent of the district, as an assistant principal, principal, and teacher.[2]

School board

The Okaloosa County School District school board consists of five members elected by district to four-year terms.[3]

Elections

See also: Okaloosa County School District, Florida, elections

Members of the Okaloosa County School District school board are elected to four-year terms. Two or three seats are up for election on a staggered basis in even-numbered years.

Two seats on the school board were expected to be up for general election on November 5, 2024. The election was unnecessary after both races were decided in the August 20, 2024, primary. Candidates could win outright in the primary election if they were unopposed or if they received a majority of votes cast in the primary.

Ballotpedia covered school board elections in 367 school districts in 29 states in 2024. Those school districts had a total student enrollment of 12,203,404 students. Click here to read an analysis of those elections.


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Public participation in board meetings

The Okaloosa County School District school board maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:[4]

“

01-06 PERSONAL APPEARANCE BEFORE THE BOARD

(A) Right to be Heard. Members of the public shall be given a reasonable opportunity to be heard on each agenda item at a School Board meeting except as provided below. The right does not apply to:

(1) An official act that must be taken to deal with an emergency situation affecting the public health, welfare, or safety, if compliance with the requirements would cause an unreasonable delay in the ability of the School Board to act;
(2) An official act involving no more than a ministerial act, including, but not limited to, approval of minutes and ceremonial proclamations;
(3) A meeting that is exempt from §286.011, Florida Statutes, or;
(4) A meeting during which the School Board is acting in a quasi-judicial capacity. This paragraph does not affect the right of a person to be heard as otherwise provided by law.
The opportunity to be heard need not occur at the same meeting at which the School Board takes official action on a matter if the opportunity occurs at a meeting that is during the decision-making process and is within reasonable proximity in time before the meeting at which the School Board takes official action. This policy does not prohibit the School Board from maintaining orderly conduct or property decorum in a public meeting.

(B) In order to provide an opportunity for a more expedited resolution of an issue, persons should contact the Superintendent’s office to discuss the matter in an attempt to come to a resolution before appearing at a meeting to address the School Board.

(C) The School Board will provide two separate opportunities on its meeting agenda for public comments. One will occur at a point in the agenda before the Consent Agenda section and shall be for those speakers addressing Agenda items in accordance with Section (A), hereinabove. Another will occur at a point following the Discussion Agenda section for all other speakers. A speaker appearing during the first of these public comment sections of the agenda shall be allotted three (3) minutes to make their presentation and a speaker appearing during the second of these public comment sections of the agenda shall be allotted two (2) minutes to make their presentation.

(D) Members of the public who wish to address the School Board shall fill out a speaker’s card upon their arrival at the meeting and shall turn the card in to the Board’s recording secretary prior to the commencement of the public comment section of the agenda during which the speaker desires to be heard.

(E) To ensure that the School Board has the time necessary to consider the issues presented, at any meeting in which a large number of speakers wish to be heard on the same issue, the Chairman may require that a representative of a group or faction address the School Board, rather than each member of such group or faction.[5]

”

School board meetings

The following articles were produced by Citizen Portal using artificial intelligence to analyze public meetings. Citizen Portal publishes articles based on the availability of meeting broadcasts, so the number of articles provided may vary by district. Although these articles are not produced or edited by Ballotpedia, they are included here as a supplemental resource for readers.

School board meeting articles (click to collapse)


District map

School district map

Budget

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[6]

Revenue, 2021-2022
SOURCE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Federal: $80,677,000 $2,495 20%
Local: $177,405,000 $5,486 43%
State: $154,382,000 $4,774 37%
Total: $412,464,000 $12,754
Expenditures, 2021-2022
TYPE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Total Expenditures: $396,956,000 $12,274
Total Current Expenditures: $342,482,000 $10,590
Instructional Expenditures: $218,203,000 $6,747 55%
Student and Staff Support: $25,374,000 $784 6%
Administration: $36,068,000 $1,115 9%
Operations, Food Service, Other: $62,837,000 $1,943 16%
Total Capital Outlay: $40,971,000 $1,266
Construction: $31,412,000 $971
Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: $11,822,000 $365
Interest on Debt: $1,681,000 $51


Teacher salaries

The following salary information was pulled from the district's teacher salary schedule. A salary schedule is a list of expected compensations based on variables such as position, years employed, and education level. It may not reflect actual teacher salaries in the district.

Year Minimum
2024-2025[7] $49,017
2023-2024[8] $49,017
2022-2023[9] $49,017

Academic performance

Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements.[10]

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2020-2021 60 74 37 49 55-59 58 66
2018-2019 72 84 55 64 70-74 70 77
2017-2018 71 79 52 63 65-69 70 75
2016-2017 71 82 53 64 65-69 71 75
2015-2016 70 83 49 64 60-64 69 74
2014-2015 68 79 48 60 60-64 72
2013-2014 67 82 47 60 65-69 71
2012-2013 67 80 45 60 60-64 71
2011-2012 66 77 45 59 60-69 70
2010-2011 79 86 59 74 70-79 82

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2020-2021 60 70 42 50 55-59 58 64
2018-2019 64 74 47 54 55-59 64 69
2017-2018 63 70 46 54 60-64 62 67
2016-2017 64 74 47 54 65-69 62 68
2015-2016 62 71 42 53 60-64 61 67
2014-2015 64 75 45 55 60-64 68
2013-2014 68 73 48 60 60-64 73
2012-2013 68 70 47 59 55-59 72
2011-2012 69 73 48 61 50-54 73
2010-2011 74 78 54 69 55-59 78

The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2019-2020 90 >=95 85-89 90-94 >=50 90-94 91
2018-2019 88 85-89 80-84 80-84 >=50 85-89 90
2017-2018 88 >=90 75-79 80-84 >=50 85-89 90
2016-2017 86 >=90 80-84 75-79 >=50 85-89 88
2015-2016 84 80-89 70-74 80-84 >=50 85-89 87
2014-2015 82 85-89 65-69 80-84 PS 80-84 85
2013-2014 83 80-84 70-74 80-84 >=80 83
2012-2013 83 80-84 65-69 75-79 >=50 85
2011-2012 83 80-89 70-74 75-79 >=50 85
2010-2011 85 85-89 70-74 75-79 >=50 87


Students

Year Enrollment Year-to-year change (%)
2023-2024 32,426 -0.9
2022-2023 32,733 1.2
2021-2022 32,340 2.2
2020-2021 31,614 -2.7
2019-2020 32,458 1.9
2018-2019 31,855 0.5
2017-2018 31,683 1.9
2016-2017 31,093 1.5
2015-2016 30,638 0.7
2014-2015 30,415 0.6
2013-2014 30,223 1.4
2012-2013 29,786 1.3
2011-2012 29,385 2.3
2010-2011 28,695 -0.5
2009-2010 28,828 -1.0
2008-2009 29,126 -1.5
2007-2008 29,568 -2.3
2006-2007 30,256 -2.5
2005-2006 31,011 -2.4
2004-2005 31,756 0.8
2003-2004 31,489 0.6
2002-2003 31,291 1.2
2001-2002 30,903 1.8
2000-2001 30,344 0.3
1999-2000 30,254 0.0
Racial Demographics, 2023-2024
RACE Okaloosa County School District (%) Florida K-12 STUDENTS (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native 0.3 0.2
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander 1.7 2.9
Black 10.6 20.9
Hispanic 15.2 37.2
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.4 0.2
Two or More Races 9.9 4.2
White 61.9 34.4

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


Staff

As of the 2023-2024 school year, Okaloosa County School District had 1,733.07 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 18.71.

Teachers, 2023-2024 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF TEACHERS
Prekindergarten: 0.00
Kindergarten: 123.00
Elementary: 649.57
Secondary: 732.50
Total: 1,733.07

Okaloosa County School District employed 20.00 district administrators and 100.00 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.

Administrators, 2023-2024 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS
District Administrators: 20.00
District Administrative Support: 41.93
School Administrators: 100.00
School Administrative Support: 168.00
Other staff, 2023-2024 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF
Instructional Aides: 536.38
Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: 19.75
Total Guidance Counselors: 84.00
Elementary Guidance Counselors: 20.00
Secondary Guidance Counselors: 36.00
Librarians/Media Specialists: 4.00
Library/Media Support: 33.00
Student Support Services: 222.70
Other Support Services: 499.33


Schools

The Okaloosa County School District operates 52 schools. They are listed below in alphabetical order.
List of schools
SCHOOL NAMENUMBER OF STUDENTSGRADES
Addie R. Lewis School677PK-8
Adjudicated Youth Facility76-12
Annette P. Edwins Elementary School464PK-5
Antioch Elementary School965PK-5
Baker School1,461PK-12
Bluewater Elementary School914PK-5
Bob Sikes Elementary School813PK-5
Choctawhatchee Senior High School1,7019-12
Clifford Meigs Middle School5586-8
Collegiate High School At Northwest Florida State College4239-12
Contracted Residential Services06-12
Crestview High School2,3979-12
Crestview Youth Academy116-12
Crestview Youth Academy (Non Secure)236-12
C. W. Ruckel Middle School1,0546-8
Davidson Middle School1,1546-8
Destin Elementary School933PK-4
Destin High School5579-12
Destin Middle School8515-8
Eglin Elementary School429PK-4
Elliott Point Elementary School598PK-5
Emerald Coast Career Institute N304-12
Florosa Elementary School531PK-5
Fort Walton Beach High School1,5589-12
James E Plew Elementary School820PK-5
Kenwood Elementary School525PK-5
Laurel Hill School463PK-12
Liza Jackson Preparatory School977KG-8
Longwood Elementary School574PK-5
Lula J. Edge Elementary School543PK-5
Mary Esther Elementary School444PK-5
Max Bruner Junior Middle School7396-8
Niceville Senior High School1,9989-12
Northwest Florida Ballet Academie1373-10
Northwood Elementary School840PK-5
Okaloosa Academy1573-12
Okaloosa Online Non Franchised589KG-12
Okaloosa Regional Detention335-12
Okaloosa Stemm Center3596-8
Okaloosa Technical College437-12
Okaloosa Virtual Franchise06-12
Okaloosa Virtual Instruction Program4KG-12
Okaloosa Youth Academy396-12
Richbourg School68PK-12
Riverside Elementary School991PK-5
Shalimar Elementary School589PK-5
Shoal River Middle School8956-8
Silver Sands-Excep. Children106PK-12
Southside Primary School267PK-2
Walker Elementary School848PK-5
W. C. Pryor Middle School6796-8
Wright Elementary School590PK-5

Contact information

Okaloosa County School District Logo.png

Okaloosa County School District
202 A Highway 85 N
Niceville, FL 32578
Phone: 850-833-3100
Fax: 850-833-4237

About school boards

Education legislation in Florida

Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.

See also

Florida School Board Elections News and Analysis
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External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ WEAR News, "Okaloosa County Schools Superintendent Marcus Chambers files for reelection for 2024," February 1, 2023
  2. ↑ Okaloosa County School District, "Marcus Chambers, Superintendent of Schools," accessed February 22, 2023
  3. ↑ Okaloosa County School District, "School Board Policies: 01-02 the School Board," accessed February 22, 2023
  4. ↑ Okaloosa County School District, "School Board Policies: Chapter 01 - Governance and Operations," accessed April 16, 2025
  5. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  6. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
  7. ↑ Okaloosa County School District, "INSTRUCTIONAL PERFORMANCE PAY PLACEMENT CHART FISCAL YEAR 2024-2025," accessed April 16, 2025
  8. ↑ Okaloosa County School District, "INSTRUCTIONAL PERFORMANCE PAY PLACEMENT CHART FISCAL YEAR 2023-2024," accessed February 22, 2023
  9. ↑ Okaloosa County School District, "Instructional FY 2023," accessed February 22, 2023
  10. ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
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