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SCHS Expansion Project at NWFSC

A community-wide, county-wide project for students of today, tomorrow, and generations to come.

With a legacy of successful graduates, Seacoast and NWFSC are ready to serve Walton County families as the top choice seeking a high-quality, results-driven high school and college education.

The Project is On Time and On Budget: Maintained strict project management, keeping the expansion of our Dual Enrollment Center and campus facilities both on schedule and within budget (opening August 2025).

Beyond just Seacoast Collegiate High School students, the College will serve an additional 250+ dual enrolled high school students in Walton County through the expanded campus.

Why this project?

Walton County is one of the fastest-growing counties in Florida and the nation.

With no established center for higher education, the closest institution to Walton County is more than an hour away in Okaloosa or Bay County.

The expansion will offer dual enrollment opportunities to an additional 450+ students in Walton County each year.

The expansion will increase resources for the Walton County workforce and provide workforce training to local agencies and businesses - combating the major labor shortage in Walton County.

College-educated adults are 25% more likely to be employed full-time, reduce overall government expenditures by $82K, and earn $270K+ more revenue per graduate over a lifetime - a net gain of $355K to the government and local economy.

Expand the collegiate educational opportunities and workforce in Walton County in the fields of hospitality, culinary, nursing, health sciences, technology, and business leadership as well as the ability to transfer to a university.

Over the last 12 months we have...

  • Secured Major Regional Investment: Successfully applied for and received a $9.5 million Triumph Gulf Coast Grant over five years to support programming, equipment, and personnel—further amplifying the impact of your legislative investment.
  • Expanded Capacity for Students: Created space to serve over 500 additional students annually—tripling the College’s previous dual enrollment capacity and significantly increasing the number of college graduates in our region.
  • Launched Career-Aligned Pathways: Built new high school academic tracks tied to workforce needs—including healthcare, information technology, business, and entrepreneurship—ensuring students graduate with marketable skills.
  • Secured Business Partnerships: Engaged local healthcare providers, tech companies, and business leaders to host students through internships, externships, and mentorships—connecting learning to real-world employment.
  • Increased Access to Certifications: Integrated industry-recognized certifications and Associate Degree pathways into our high school programs, enabling students to earn professional credentials while still in high school.
  • Accelerated Workforce Readiness: Equipped students with both academic and technical skills to meet current labor market needs—helping close workforce gaps and fast-track job placement which further exemplifies your return on investment.
  • Strengthened Public-Private Collaboration: Leveraged legislative and Triumph funding to form powerful partnerships between education, industry, and community stakeholders.
  • Established a Statewide Model: Created a replicable, scalable blueprint for how Florida can reimagine high school and college integration to meet the demands of tomorrow’s economy.

Construction Updates

A Vision for the Future

  • The high school received 616 student applications in 30 days for the Fall of 2025 - the highest number in the school’s history.
  • Our 2025 incoming freshman class will be the largest in the school’s history - 134 students - filling every possible seat with a strong waitlist.
  • As early as Fall 2026, the College will launch another program on site: an Associates in Science Business Administration degree that will equip students with practical business knowledge and management skills enabling them to start their careers earlier and gain valuable work experience.
  • Seacoast Collegiate High School is excited to announce the addition of secondary certifications in Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Master Entrepreneurship, Bookkeeping, and QuickBooks Certified User to its students who are also enrolled in the College’s Associate degree dual enrollment program.
  • The newly expanded campus will also serve an additional 250+ dual enrolled high school students in Walton County.

Strategic Partners

Ascension Sacred Heart
Florida's Greatest Northwest
Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association
Walton Area Chamber of Commerce
Walton County Economic Development Alliance
Walton County Board of County Commissioners

Lead Donors

Tom and Chris Glavine
Dermatology Specialist | Dr. Jon Ward
JW Couch Foundation
Greg and Robin Crouch
Patrick and Jennifer McCarthy
Jason and Kristie Beer
O’Connell & Associates Consulting Engineers
Kavanaugh and Celia Tucker
Brian and Shannon Widman

Did you know?

SEASIDE SCHOOL™ has the highest academic performance of any combination charter school in Florida and ranks as one of the top public schools in the state of Florida, having earned an "A" for 21+ consecutive years according to the FLDOE Report Card. Below is a snapshot of some of the successes of our 2024 graduating class. 

 

To learn more about our plans for growth, please contact Dr. Sean Preston at sean@seasideschoolfoundation.org or 704.488.4078.