About Us
The Okaloosa County School District is located in the Panhandle of Florida, known for its beautiful white sandy beaches and crystal-clear water. We are fortunate to have a strong military presence and a well-educated community which supports our schools.
Vision
We inspire a lifelong passion for learning.
Mission
We prepare all students to achieve excellence by providing the highest quality education while empowering each individual to positively impact their families, communities, and the world.
District Facts
- 930 Square Miles
- 202,970 Residents*
- 32,362 Veteran Residents*
* Source: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/okaloosacountyflorida/PST045217
Employees
The Okaloosa County School District is one of the largest employers in Okaloosa County:
- 1915 Instructional employees
- 785 hold advanced degrees
- 51 hold National Board Certifications
- 1383 Support Staff employees
- 97 School-Based Administrators
- 44 District Administrators
Schools
The Okaloosa County School District serves approximately 27,000 students from pre-kindergarten to adult education. Each of our schools has its own distinct characteristics while sharing the unified mission and vision of the District.
- 23 Elementary Schools
- 12 Middle Schools
- 8 High Schools
- 7 K-8, K-12 Community Schools
- 1 Best Chance North
- 5 Charter/Contract Schools
- 1 STEMM Academy
- 1 Okaloosa Technical College (OTC)
- Home School
- Okaloosa Online School
Our schools provide a safe environment where students learn a challenging curriculum based on the Florida State Standards. Okaloosa consistently ranks among the top school districts in the State of Florida at all levels of student achievement.
As part of our commitment to excellence, our entire school district has been accredited by SACS-CASI. Our students score above the state and national averages on standardized tests, including the SAT and ACT.
According to the annual Post-secondary Plan, 64% of the graduating seniors indicate that they plan to go on to higher education or technical training.
Transportation
A fleet of 231 school buses transports over 16,000 students more than 3.2 million miles per year in addition to 182,000 miles for extra-curricular activities and field trips.
Advanced Academic Opportunities
Okaloosa County's high schools offer a wide variety of advanced academic opportunities designed to help students build a strong foundation for long-term educational success:
- AICE - Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education
- Advanced Placement (AP)
- Anne T. Mitchell County Honors Program
- Dual Enrollment
- Gifted Students
- Honors Courses
- International Baccalaureate (IB) Program
Career and Technical Education (CTE)
The Okaloosa County School District works closely with the CareerSource Okaloosa/Walton to identify key industries with a future need for skilled workers. Offering a wide variety of courses at the high and middle school level, Okaloosa County’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) program allows students the possibility of earning industry certification, college credit and high school credit all at once.
High School CTE Programs
- Baker School - Carpentry, Applied Robotics, Culinary Arts, Early Childcare Education, and Information Technology
- Choctawhatchee HS – Advanced Manufacturing, Carpentry, Emergency Medical Responder, Engineering, and Information Technology
- Crestview HS – Advanced Manufacturing, Applied Robotics, Automotive Service Tech, Cosmetology, Criminal Justice, Culinary Arts, Electricity, Emergency Medical Responder, Engineering, HVAC, Information Technology, Practical Nursing, and Welding Technology
- Fort Walton Beach HS – Advanced Manufacturing, Biomedical Science, Emergency Medical Responder, Engineering, and Information Technology
- Laurel Hill School – Carpentry and Information Technology
- Niceville HS – Applied Robotics, Emergency Medical Responder, Culinary Arts and Information Technology
Middle School CTE Programs
- Baker School - Carpentry, Information Technology, and STEM
- Bruner MS – Carpentry, Health Occupations, Information Technology, STEM
- Davidson MS – Health Occupations, Information Technology and STEM
- Destin MS - Information Technology and STEM
- Lewis School - Information Technology and STEM
- Meigs MS - Information Technology and STEM
- Pryor MS – Advanced Manufacturing, Carpentry, Information Technology, and STEM
- Ruckel MS - Information Technology and STEM
All students have the opportunity to take dual enrollment courses offered at Okaloosa Technical College. Programs offered: HVAC, Applied Cybersecurity, Automotive, Carpentry, Culinary Arts, Technology Support Services, Cosmetology, Electricity, Marine Services Technology, Practical Nursing, Solar Technology, and Welding Technology.
Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) Programs
- Baker School - Army JROTC
- Choctawhatchee HS - Air Force JROTC
- Crestview HS - Army JROTC
- Fort Walton Beach HS - Air Force JROTC
- Niceville HS - Air Force JROTC
Awards
- 2018-19 Okaloosa County Teacher of the Year - Heather Phillips, Bluewater ES
- 2018 Okaloosa County Educational Support Person of the Year - Karen Carroll, Bay Area Office
- Healthy School District Silver Award - earned for maintaining a healthy environment for students, employees, and the community