SANTA ROSA BEACH, Fla. (WMBB) — A new collegiate campus is coming to South Walton County.

Seacoast Collegiate High School is focused on dual enrollment. The public charter is partnering with Northwest Florida State College to make local kids more successful with higher education 

“We’re going to put our shovels in the ground to start the process of the construction here. Of our three buildings that will be built in the next two years. That will help us all, all of our students. So we’ll have ninth, 12th grade on campus for the first time ever,” said Tom Miller, Executive Director at Seaside School.

Seacoast is open to all Walton County residents and feeds through the Seaside School program.

Students who currently take dual enrollment have to travel to a separate facility to earn college credit. At the future 60,000-square-foot campus, grades 9-12 will all be at the Seacoast site and can graduate with an associate degree. 

“It allows high school students to graduate with a high school degree up to 60 hours of college courses and most of them graduate with an associate degree. And that’s all free of charge. No cost to the families or the students will save them tens of thousands of dollars in tuition,” said Patrick McCarthy, Seaside School Foundation  

With a groundbreaking in 2023, the project is expected to be complete in 2025. It’s $30 million to construct the new school buildings and they say they are halfway through the funding process with money coming in from the state of Florida. 

“We are proud to announce that the state of Florida appropriated $9 million in this year’s budget towards this project,” said McCarthy. 

In an effort to move the funding along, baseball hall of famer Tom Glavine and his wife Chirs donated $ 1 million towards the new school. 

“My mission statement in life has been a Jackie Robinson quote and that quote is ‘the true measure of a man’s life is the impact you have on others.’ And to be able to impact this community the way that Chris and I are able to be a part of it and all of you are able to be a part of it is something that’s really humbling for us and something we’re super, super excited to be a part of,” said Tom Glavine.

Learn more about the project and the lottery for entering the 2024 classes online.