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Bluewater parents urge board to preserve Destin Middle School option amid proposed rezoning
Summary
Two Bluewater-area parents told the Okaloosa County School Board they want to preserve the option for their children to attend Destin Middle School during an upcoming rezoning, citing individualized needs, existing IEP plans and concerns about bus service and transportation if boundaries change.
Two parents from the Bluewater neighborhood used the public comment period to ask the Okaloosa County School Board to preserve access to Destin Middle School as the district considers boundary changes.
"I'm just coming to show concern over the rezoning that's happening for Blue Water residents," said Adrianna Hoskins, who identified herself as the parent of children who have attended the smaller neighborhood school and who said the family has been “very happy” with the option to attend that school.
Marie Fleur Meissner, who said she lives in Bluewater and has a child with an IEP, said Destin Middle School meets her daughter’s needs and that her family moved to Bluewater in part because the district offered a choice between schools. "Not every child has the same needs for school," Meissner said. "For us, the decision was Destin because it fits her needs with the IEP."
Meissner added that while she understands the district offers waiver options, her immediate concern is transportation: she said a single bus currently serves Bluewater and that losing that service would affect families’ ability to keep children at Destin Middle School.
Board members acknowledged the concerns and said rezoning and new-school openings sometimes require boundary adjustments, but they did not take action on rezoning during this meeting. Superintendent Chambers and board members said they understand the sensitivity and that rezonings are sometimes necessary as the district adds schools; no timetable or formal proposal was offered during the public session.
Because the commenters raised transportation and special-education placement concerns, board staff follow-up was implied; no formal direction or vote was recorded in the transcript on this rezoning at the meeting.
