Tough but Necessary: Okaloosa Will Close Two “Outstanding” Schools
Okaloosa School Board votes unanimously to close Mary Esther and Longwood Elementary amid enrollment decline and budget challenges, with rezoning ahead.
A Remarkable Community Gift Is Changing Lives in Local Classrooms
The Fort Walton Beach Moose Lodge has donated more than $17,000 since 2022 to help eliminate student lunch debt at Okaloosa County elementary schools.
Okaloosa School Board schedules hearing on proposal to close Mary Esther, Longwood Elementary Schools
With classrooms emptying and budgets tightening, Okaloosa school leaders say they’re out of options — but families argue the cost of closure goes far beyond the numbers.
Mary Esther leaders mobilize to fight proposed closure of elementary school
Mary Esther officials and residents are mounting a public pushback against the Okaloosa County School District’s proposal to close Mary Esther Elementary, arguing the nearly 60-year-old school is central to the city’s identity, family stability and military readiness.
