Since August 2017, Okaloosa County has witnessed ongoing issues with its main educational body that are quite unlike any seen in the county’s history.

Driven by Northwest Florida Daily News investigative reporting, the first revelation came following confirmation that the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office was actively investigating allegations of child abuse involving a nonverbal special education student at Kenwood Elementary School. That, however, was just the tip of the iceberg for the Okaloosa County School District.