Northwest Florida State College (NWFSC) was recently named a 2022-23 Military Friendly School with a Gold Distinction by MilitaryFriendly.com. Every year, institutions earning the Military Friendly School designation are evaluated using public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. Final ratings are calculated by combining the institution’s survey scores with the institution’s ability to meet minimum thresholds for student retention, graduation, job placement, loan repayment, and loan default rates for student veterans. Methodology, criteria, and weightings are determined with input from the Military Friendly Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. The gold-level distinction is awarded to schools that score within 10% of the 10th best school in their category. These schools are considered to be setting the example with their programs and initiatives. For more information about Northwest Florida State College’s military and veteran services, please contact our Veterans Success Center at 850-729-5375 or va@nwfsc.edu. The 2022-23 Military Friendly Schools list can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com.
The Collegiate High School at Northwest Florida State College is expanding. In February, NWFSC announced that it received a $2 million Early College Career and Technical Education grant from Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Department of Education, which will allow it to expand the Collegiate High School by introducing the first class of ninth graders and implementing a new degree track. The new degree track will enable students to earn an Associate in Science in Computer Information Technology or an Associate in Science in Engineering Technology while simultaneously earning their high school diploma.
The Collegiate High School is a public charter school located on NWFSC’s Niceville campus and is free to students. The high school is a designated Florida School of Excellence and routinely ranks among the best high schools in Florida.
A FREE Apprenticeship Program is available at NWFSC, which is committed to helping the community and businesses attract and retain a talented, vibrant and skilled workforce. The program offers apprenticeships in Construction/Carpentry, Culinary, HVAC-AC-Ventilation, CNC Machining, Plumbing and IT. It blends classroom instruction and On-the-Job training to provide business and employees world-class training leading to employer recruiting and retention and giving employees tangible skills and certifications to better their careers. If interested, contact NWFSC workforce development staff at apprenticeships@nwfsc.edu. Fill out the application on NWFSC’s website for more information about a specific opportunity or meet with in person at NWFSC. https://www.nwfsc.edu/academics/non-degree-programs/registered-apprenticeships.
Okaloosa County
Congratulations to Bluewater Bay Elementary School’s Academic Team! Coached by Mrs. Erk and Mrs. Brown, they placed 2nd in the nation in the Knowledge Master Open! They were behind a middle school team. This qualifies them for a national competition in June.
The Okaloosa County School Board is in the process of upgrading its parent-teacher software to a program called FOCUS. The upgraded systems will streamline education services while at the same time put more information in the hands of parents than ever before. Different parts of the FOCUS system will come online periodically until the completed system is fully operational in October 2022. The FOCUS Parent Portal is a tool designed to enhance communication and involvement for you in your child’s education and is accessible through the FOCUS mobile app or an internet browser. With this upgrade, parents will have access to their student’s attendance, grades, accommodations and more in real time. Kindergarten registration is now taking place through FOCUS for the Fall of 2022. Visit www.okaloosaschools.com/focus to view the roll-out timeline, see a sneak peek at what FOCUS looks like, and ask questions about the new system.
Walton County
Congratulations to Freeport High School’s Sydni Free for winning the weightlifting state championship. She earned gold in snatch and picked up a bronze in traditional combo lifts. This win is the first state weightlifting title in school history! What an incredible achievement for Sydni and her coach, Owen Cole.
Walton County Schools transportation department announced the opening of a new facility in Freeport. The District built the new facility considering the county’s south end growth. The new building allows buses to be fueled, serviced and inspected in a convenient barn without traveling to the DeFuniak Springs barn. Congratulations to the transportation department!
