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Students credit board funding for speech and debate growth, national qualifications
Summary
Students from Fort Walton Beach High School and other county programs told the Okaloosa County School Board that district funding has expanded travel and competitive opportunities and supported community outreach projects.
Students representing Fort Walton Beach High School’s speech and debate program and other county teams addressed the Okaloosa County School Board during public comment, thanking the board for its financial and programmatic support and describing recent competitive successes and community initiatives.
Aisley Joudry, a student speaker, told the board the program has grown across the county and “Speech and debate is a very important program. It’s very important to you guys as you have shown, and we love that on our speech and debate team, but also on all of the speech and debate teams in the county.” Joudry said board support helped students build confidence, classroom skills and civic engagement.
Haley Chislet said the team qualified several students for national tournaments and noted an upcoming trip: “we are going to nationals very, very soon. I think it is May 23. We are going to NCFL Nationals,” she said, and named students who qualified for national competition in events such as Lincoln-Douglas debate, original oratory and interpretation.
JJ Wiley, the team’s co-club captain and manager, described how increased funding expanded travel from two tournaments in 2023 to eight this school year and reduced the per-student cost for nationals; Wiley said that financial support makes the program more accessible to more students and thanked the board: “Thus, this is my thank you to the members of the board.”
William Kiker, president of the Fort Walton Beach team, described community service projects tied to the team, including an anti-fentanyl campaign that has reached multiple high schools and a student-led civic engagement project. “What we’re doing on this team is building leaders, building the future generation to be able to make impact in their communities in the future and right now,” Kiker said.
Students reported one $2,000 scholarship awarded through a state association and several district qualifiers for national events. Board members and the superintendent thanked the students and noted their upcoming graduation and travel plans.
Speakers used the public-comment portion of the meeting to highlight how district funding and volunteer support have expanded competitive and civic opportunities for students.
