In a wide-ranging interview with Mid Bay News, Okaloosa County School Board District 1 candidate Jerry Buckman outlined a platform centered on classroom discipline, oversight of district leadership, long-term facilities planning, and higher teacher pay—without raising taxes.

Every voter in Okaloosa County will be able to cast a ballot in this race in the August 18 primary (with options for early voting and vote-by-mail).

Background: “Skin in the Game”

Buckman describes himself as a grassroots conservative candidate with deep personal ties to the school system. A grandfather with children and grandchildren who have attended Okaloosa schools, he said his concerns grew as he followed his grandkids through the district.

To better understand what was happening “behind the curtain,” Buckman became a substitute teacher, working in:

• High schools
• Middle schools
• Elementary schools
• Silver Sands
• Okaloosa Academy
• Career and Technical Education programs

He previously ran for the District 1 seat in 2022, losing by roughly 1,600 votes, and says what he saw in classrooms convinced him to run again.

Classroom Discipline and School Culture

Buckman’s central concern is what he calls “chronically chaotic classrooms.” He argues that a small number of disruptive students can derail learning for everyone else, and believes the district is not consistently enforcing standards.

He ties this to broader cultural shifts, saying his generation failed to pass along core values to younger generations. As a result, he says schools are tolerating levels of disrespect and disorder that would not have been acceptable in the past.

Buckman favors:

• Revisiting and reinforcing the student code of conduct
• Reviewing and enforcing the dress code
• Making it clear that teachers and administrators have backing to address disruptive behavior

He connects these discipline issues to the rise of school choice, arguing that families are increasingly leaving traditional public schools for charter or other options because of perceived problems with classroom environment and culture.

“America First” Education and Civics

Buckman frames his overall approach as an “America First” education agenda.

To him, that includes:

• Teaching the full, factual history of the United States—“every aspect that is true,” including negative episodes such as the removal of Native American tribes
• Emphasizing patriotism, civics, and service alongside reading, writing, and math
• Helping students understand not only what the country has done wrong, but also what is required to preserve and strengthen it

Buckman says he wants to bring veterans into classrooms and school auditoriums to share personal stories of service, sacrifice, and loss. He believes hearing directly from those who served, especially in the local military and special operations communities, would:

• Give students a deeper understanding of the Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem
• Encourage more students to stand and participate in these rituals voluntarily
• Connect abstract civics lessons to real-world experiences

Handling Controversial Speakers and Student Protests

The interview also addressed a controversial appearance by Grace Resendez McCaffrey at Fort Walton Beach High School and a subsequent anti-ICE protest.

Buckman’s criticism focuses on process and balance:

• McCaffrey was invited through a campus club (the Minority Council) rather than through a widely publicized, district-level event.
• The talk and related protest took place without broader public notice or the participation of other viewpoints.

Buckman says he is not opposed to debating immigration or other contentious topics, but believes events like this should:

• Be formally requested and approved
• Take place in public venues such as the school auditorium
• Include balanced panels, for example pairing an activist speaker with representatives from ICE or the local sheriff’s office
• Be open to the broader community, not just a subset of students

He is strongly opposed to encouraging students to walk out of class during the school day to protest law enforcement agencies, arguing that law and order and respect for federal officers are core to his conservative principles.

Oversight, Ethics, and the Superintendent

A recurring theme in Buckman’s comments is the need to recalibrate the relationship between the school board and the superintendent.

He argues that:

• The current board has a reputation for rubber-stamping the superintendent’s agenda.
• The relationship is too collegial to provide the kind of independent oversight taxpayers expect.

Buckman wants the board to reassert its role in:

• Setting policy
• Providing oversight of the superintendent
• Ensuring accountability for how policies are implemented

The conversation turned to allegations of a romantic relationship between Superintendent Marcus Chambers and a subordinate. An outside law firm’s investigation found no violations of law or policy, but Buckman still views the underlying situation—an elected superintendent and a subordinate employee—as ethically problematic.

He says that if he had been on the board when the allegations surfaced, he would have:

1. Met directly with the superintendent to discuss the matter.
2. Pushed for a broad, independent investigation, reaching beyond a narrow circle.
3. If misconduct were substantiated, referred the findings to the Florida Commission on Ethics.

Buckman draws on his experience serving on an Inspector General team in the Air Force and says investigations in Okaloosa should be:

• Wider in scope
• More rigorous in witness interviews (including district staff and principals)
• Clearly independent of local relationships and perceptions of insider protection

He also proposes inviting a state-level Department of Government Efficiency (or similar body) to perform a deep audit of finances and operations.

School Closures and Long-Term Facilities Planning

In recent months, the district has voted to close Mary Esther and Longwood Elementary Schools. Buckman did not commit to how he would have voted on those specific closures, noting he did not have full access to the underlying analysis.

However, he used the issue to highlight what he sees as a larger problem:

• Many Okaloosa schools are already over 40 years old.
• In the next decade or two, most will reach or exceed 60 years, the age at which state guidelines often suggest replacement rather than constant repair.
• Despite this, Buckman says the district lacks any meaningful 20-, 30-, or 50-year facilities recapitalization plan.

He points to Crestview High School, built in 1969, as a prime example. Crestview’s population has grown significantly since then, yet he says there is no clear plan to replace or comprehensively modernize the campus.

Buckman proposes:

• Building new schools on existing sites, even if that temporarily displaces athletic fields.
• After the new structure is complete, demolishing the old building and rebuilding fields and support facilities—an approach he notes neighboring counties have used.
• Leveraging the district’s existing land holdings, rather than spending heavily on new property.

He calls the absence of a long-term facilities strategy “amazing” and “irresponsible,” given the age of the infrastructure and growth in areas like Crestview.

Teacher Pay, District Staffing, and Budget Priorities

Buckman supports raising teacher pay, but is emphatic that raising taxes should be the last option.

Instead, he wants to:

• Conduct a detailed audit of where current dollars go.
• Launch a manpower or staffing study of district headquarters and central office positions.
• Identify potential top-heaviness or inefficiencies in the administrative structure.
• Redirect resources toward classroom teachers, bus drivers, and student-facing roles.

He also suggests that local and state leaders have not prioritized schools in the same way as other public investments, pointing to well-maintained government facilities along the coast while many school buildings age and deteriorate.

Buckman says state legislators can play a key role, arguing that they have the power to shift funds between budget categories if education and facilities are made a true priority.

Public Input, Fear of Reprisal, and Buckman’s Pledge

Buckman wants significantly more public engagement in district decision-making. He criticizes the board’s move to cut public comment time from four minutes to three, and says he would vote to restore longer comment periods.

He also calls for:

• Full, detailed workshops that may run for hours to dig into complex issues.
• Regular citizen attendance at board meetings, including public comment via “blue cards” to create a robust public record.

A key concern he raises is what he describes as a pervasive “fear of reprisal” among teachers and administrators. He says many staff members are reluctant to speak candidly about problems because they worry about consequences from district leadership.

He considers that climate one of the most toxic conditions any organization can face and argues that changing leadership is necessary to restore open communication.

Buckman says he would treat the school board seat as a full-time job and positions himself as an independent public servant, not an establishment politician. He also pledges to donate his school board salary back to teachers in need if elected, saying he is not running for personal financial gain.

The Decision for Voters

Voters in Okaloosa County will weigh Buckman’s proposals on discipline, curriculum, ethics oversight, budgeting, and long-term planning against those of his opponents in the August 18 election.

For residents concerned about classroom behavior, district transparency, the aging state of local schools, and how education dollars are spent, Buckman presents a platform focused on stricter discipline, more aggressive oversight, a facilities master plan, and reallocation of existing funds rather than new taxes.

How those priorities resonate with parents, teachers, and taxpayers will help determine the direction of Okaloosa schools in the coming years.