Education

Most families assigned to Eglin Air Force Installation live in and around the Okaloosa County School District. The Okaloosa County School District provides public education for grades K-12 and include charter schools and STEM Academy. Eglin AFB has one school on base, Eglin Elementary School, which provides education for grades K-4.  Contact Eglin Elementary School at 850-833-4320. Students who live on base and are in middle and high school attend Lewis Middle School or Niceville High School. Bus transportation is provided by the school district from the installation to both the middle and high schools.

The Eglin AFB School Liaison Officer can be reached at 850-883-3545. The Panhandle area has five school districts where families can live and enroll their students. The five districts are Bay County, Walton County, Okaloosa County, Santa Rosa County and Escambia County. Please view the district websites for details about the schools.

The Okaloosa County School District provides public education for voluntary pre-kindergarten and kindergarten-12th grade. The Okaloosa County School District and Eglin Air Force Base have partnered in several initiatives to improve the transition of military students into the Florida public schools system. In order to accomplish this, the school district has provided a military families an icon on their website with valuable permanent change of station information for your convenience. The sooner you contact the school liaison officer or the Okaloosa School District after receipt of your new assignment, the better prepared you will be to ensure a smooth and meaningful transition for your child and significantly reduce the stress related with moving to a new school.

The public school system suggests that when you arrive, even if you are temporarily living in base lodging, you enroll your child in school as soon as possible. Call the school liaison officer, 850-882-4319, or the Okaloosa County School District, 850-833-3100, for answers to your questions.

Registration Requirements

Documentation required for registration includes the student's birth certificate, original Social Security number and proof of immunizations, as well as a physical from the doctor and an up-to-date shot record. Florida requires your immunizations to be on the DH 680, Florida Certificate of Immunization or "Blue Card.” This form is required for any child entering Florida schools (public or private, K-12), pre-schools, child care facilities or family daycare homes. You can take your current shot records to your health care provider to have your child's immunization history transferred to the DH 680.

Florida Public Schools Requirements by State Law

Recently, Florida has changed its assessments to meet the new Florida Standards. While some grades and subjects will still use the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, others will use a combination of Florida Standards Assessment and End-of-Course Assessment, as well as others. A series of tests are conducted during the spring for every public school in Florida for grades three through 11. Results determine how well students are performing a specific set of academic expectations and teaching requirements covering writing, reading, math and science against the new Florida Standards. Please visit the FDOE Assessments website for the latest information.

Florida law requires youths ages 6-16 to attend school.

• Kindergarten: The child must be 5 years old by Sept. 1 of the school year.
• First grade: The child must be 6 years old on Sept. 1 of the school year.
• Kindergarten is a prerequisite for first grade in Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton counties.
• High school graduation requirements in Florida can vary based on the year the student enters ninth grade.

Bus Transportation

School Transportation is provided for Okaloosa County, Santa Rosa County and Walton County.

Exceptional Education Programs

Students who are in the Exceptional Family Member Program can view the Okaloosaschools.com website to find the most current information on exceptional student education. There are many services available to accommodate educational needs and you may contact the OCSD if you have specific questions or needs. Each installation has EFMP-Family Support coordinators to assist with your smooth transition.

Extracurricular Activities

Many extracurricular activities are offered within the school system, particularly in the high schools. Among them are band, chorus, flag corps, Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, football, basketball, baseball, soccer, wrestling, honor clubs and service clubs. Check with the particular school that your child will attend to find what activities are available since activities offered vary within the schools.

School Calendar

Okaloosa County school calendar
Santa Rosa County School calendar
Walton County School calendar
Bay County School calendar
Escambia County School calendar

School Liaison Officer

Your school liaison officer has some valuable educational information, resources, websites and a handbook located on the Elgin Life website. On the Florida Department of Education website, you can view each school and the grades in each academic area, Military Interstate Children’s Compact, homeschooling information, scholarship information and more to assist with making the best educational choices for your student. You can view the article “Planning for a Successful School Transition” to include a detailed Students Learning Outcome checklist for your convenience.

Private School

A number of private schools are available in the Eglin AFB area. Most private schools have a religious affiliation or relationship. It is suggested that the private schools be contacted to learn of the tuition required. Additional fees such as music, art, uniforms, books, registration, deposits and transportation should be considered.