Okaloosa School Board schedules hearing on proposal to close Mary Esther, Longwood Elementary Schools Collin Bestor January 13, 2026 4:00 pm Schools and Education NICEVILLE — The Okaloosa County School Board on Monday voted to schedule a public hearing on a proposal that could close Mary Esther Elementary School and Longwood Elementary School at the end of the 2025–26 academic year, a move district leaders say is driven by sustained enrollment losses, rising fixed costs and structural limits in Florida’s public school funding system. The public hearing is scheduled for Feb. 23, with a final vote expected that evening. If approved, students from the two campuses would be rezoned to other elementary schools in southern Okaloosa County at the beginning of the next school year. Superintendent Marcus Chambers told board members and the public that the district has exhausted most alternatives after cutting more than $22 million from its operating budget over the past two years. “This is not about a building,” Chambers said as he opened the discussion. “It’s about a community, a sense of home, families and students whose lives have been shaped within those walls. And this is not easy.” A decision shaped by finances and personal history Chambers acknowledged his personal connection to Longwood Elementary, where he once served as principal, and the deep roots many families have to Mary Esther Elementary. “Some of you who are here tonight attended Mary Esther as students,” he said. “None of that is to be...
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