👤 Who: Okaloosa County School Board & Superintendent Marcus Chambers
📚 What: Unanimous vote to close Mary Esther and Longwood Elementary
🗓 When: Vote held Feb. 24, 2026; closures effective end of 2025–26 school year
📍 Where: South Zone of Okaloosa County, Florida
💡 Why: Steep enrollment decline, budget pressures, statewide funding trends
Fort Walton Beach, Fla. — February 24, 2026 — The Okaloosa County School Board voted unanimously Monday night to close Mary Esther Elementary School and Longwood Elementary School at the end of the 2025–26 school year, citing long-term enrollment declines, significant budget pressures, and shifting statewide education funding trends.
All five board members supported the closure plans under Resolutions 26-01 and 26-02, finalizing months of study and public discussion. The board also unanimously approved Resolution 26-03, which reassigns students from the two schools to six other South Zone elementary schools for the 2026-27 academic year.
“Bringing a proposal like this here in this school district … is not easy in any way, shape or form,” said Superintendent Marcus Chambers, emphasizing the weight of the decision on educators, families, and the broader community. “School is more than just a building… It’s about togetherness.”
Chambers highlighted that the decision is not a critique of school performance. Both campuses have served students well academically. The decision is a response to demographic shifts and fiscal realities facing public education locally and statewide.
“Both of these schools are absolutely outstanding schools… what they do for their students is outright outstanding,” Chambers said, noting Mary Esther’s consistent A–B performance and Longwood’s strong service history.
District data show a 19.3% decline in South Zone elementary enrollment over the past decade, with both Mary Esther and Longwood exceeding that drop. Projections suggest continued losses south of the Shoal River, while the northern part of the county grows.
Chambers also outlined the district’s fiscal challenges, including more than $22 million in prior budget adjustments and an expected $12 million+ reduction this cycle, even as inflation-matching teacher pay remains difficult under current state funding structures.
To break even with cost-of-living raises, the district says it would need an additional $300–$350 per student in base allocation, far above current state increases.
Chambers also noted the influence of expanded school choice programs, such as the Family Empowerment Scholarship and PEP, on district enrollment and finances, with roughly 5,030 county students receiving scholarships and many never having attended district schools.
“I’m not against school choice options, but I am against the architecture of the current system… in my mind, that shouldn’t be taken away from public education,” he said.
With closures now approved, students at Mary Esther and Longwood will be rezoned to nearby schools, including Elliott Point, Edwins, Wright, Kenwood, Shalimar, and Florosa, beginning in fall 2026. Comprehensive boundary maps and Q&A resources are available on the district’s updated zoning page at:
🔗 https://www2.okaloosaschools.com/page/zoning
Chambers said the district has engaged with faculty, parents, city leaders, and military officials in advance of the Board’s vote, and emphasized a commitment to a smooth transition for families and staff.
“You did not ask for this, but I brought it because of where we are,” Chambers said.
“It’s the last recommendation that I would ever want to make.”
Please visit the Okaloosa County School District’s page for more information.
Pro Communi Bono
St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis!
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