Okaloosa County School District by the Numbers
47
Schools
30k
Students
23
JustFOIA Users Across 23 Departments
The Okaloosa County School District serves 30,000 students with 2,000 employees. Eric Mitchell, Director of MIS & Instructional Technology and the district’s records custodian, had been with the organization since 2000. Back then, they handled just a few records requests annually.
Everything changed in 2017. A public scandal triggered an avalanche of public record requests. The district received 300 requests in three months alone. Their manual tracking system couldn’t keep up. Eric knew they needed a better solution—fast.
“By law, we must provide all information requested,” Eric said. “If records are withheld, we can be held liable.”
The stakes were high. Some requesters deliberately sought compliance failures to trigger lawsuits. One requester numbered their initial request “001,” signaling many more would follow.
Daily Detours: Whiteboard Whack-a-Mole
Before JustFOIA, the district tracked requests on a whiteboard. They supplemented this with Microsoft Outlook, but the system had major gaps.
Requests arrived in every format imaginable. Phone calls, emails, even notes scribbled on napkins. The State of Florida requires agencies to accept requests however they come.
“It became very difficult to track each request and was too easy for one to fall through the cracks,” Eric said.
Processing times stretched to 80 days. A copy machine error once left 60 pages missing from a response. The manual system couldn’t catch these mistakes before they reached requesters.
Skipping the Busywork
“Once our requests started to increase drastically, we knew it was time to start searching for a tool,” Eric said.
In JustFOIA, they found exactly what they were looking for.
Everything flows to Eric’s dashboard first. He can route requests to appropriate departments with clear instructions.
Eleven staff members primarily use the system across all departments. School secretaries received training to help requesters submit properly formatted requests. If requesters can’t use the portal, staff enter the information themselves.
“JustFOIA allows us to assign roles to each user so that communications and tasks are defined easily,” Eric said.
The system handles subpoenas, investigative requests, and discovery demands. Department contacts range from secretaries to C-level executives. Everyone knows their role.
Cutting the Risks
The organization piece solved the district’s biggest compliance challenge: No more lost requests or missed deadlines.
“Before JustFOIA, it was difficult to gain perspective on what was happening with each request,” Eric said. “Let alone, a reminder that tasks are due.”
The system prevents human error. Automated reminders keep cases moving. And staff can’t forget about pending requests when the system tracks everything.
Eric found an unexpected benefit: Requesters actually liked the new system.
“I didn’t expect JustFOIA to be well-received by the people who request records consistently. But I’ve had both the local news agencies check out our website and they all gave positive reviews.”
Peace of Mind
JustFOIA delivered peace of mind Eric hadn’t expected. He doesn’t micromanage every request anymore.
“I don’t have to check every single request to make sure things are happening like they’re supposed to,” Eric said. “Requests are getting processed, and tasks are getting done, and that’s awesome.”
The district processed over 1,000 requests in two years. Eric can generate reports in seconds instead of hunting through email chains and whiteboard notes.
Best Practices and Lessons Learned
Eric shared advice for other organizations dealing with an unexpected surge in requests.
Partner with legal counsel. “Love your lawyer,” Eric said. “You need to be able to pick up the phone and ask about information that calls for redaction and get legal clarification for subpoenas.”
Know your limits. “Know when you’re in over your head. Ask for help. Maybe, sometimes, someone else needs to remind you that you’re not superhuman.”
Train everyone thoroughly. When implementing a system, ensure all staff understand how to use it.
Manage expectations. Communicate with requesters about realistic timelines. “You can’t get hung up on time. It doesn’t mean that you stop everything to process one request.”
Prepare for scrutiny. “Requesters will double-check your responses — people will do another PRR just to check the original response.”
Looking Ahead
The district continues expanding JustFOIA access. The Insurance Department may join next. PR staff now have view-only access to communicate with the press.
Eric’s long-term goal is simple: get everyone using the portal. The system has already built trust with the community since requesters can track their cases and stay informed throughout the process.
“JustFOIA goes a long way to help establish trust,” Eric said. “The simple fact that more and more people are using the portal because they realize that they can track the progress of their requests is allowing folks to be a part of the request as much as possible.”
