Okaloosa School Board adopts revisions to violent‑crimes and vaping/tobacco policies

The Okaloosa County School Board on March 9 adopted revised versions of two district policies intended to clarify prohibited conduct on school property and update rules around tobacco and vaping.

At a public hearing before the board, Miss Schroeder, program director for student services, presented the proposed revisions to Policy 04‑33, which covers violent crimes and possession or use of tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, drugs, weapons and firearms on district property. No members of the public spoke during the hearing. The motion to adopt was moved by Mr. Destin, seconded by Mr. Bryant and approved by a 5‑0 vote.

The board next held a public hearing on Policy 11‑20, the district’s policy on tobacco products, smoking and vaping on schoolboard property, which was presented by Miss Ritter, program director for student services. Board members clarified that the revised policy applies to everyone on district property—students, staff, administrators and visitors—and noted that vaping has become a significant issue on campuses. With no public speakers, the motion to adopt was moved by Mr. Bryan and seconded by Mr. Kindly; the board approved the policy 5‑0.

Why it matters: the revisions aim to make expectations clearer for behavior on district property and to give staff and administrators an up‑to‑date framework for addressing tobacco and vaping incidents. The board recorded no amendments to either policy during the hearings.

What’s next: both policies take effect according to the district’s standard policy‑implementation timeline. The board did not schedule additional meetings on these items. The actions were recorded in the meeting minutes as passed unanimously.