COLLEGIATE SCHOOL RELOCATES GRADES 10-11 TO FSU PANAMA CITY FULL-TIME

Two years ago, the Collegiate School at Florida State University opened at its Beck Avenue facility with 100 ninth graders.

On Monday, Aug. 11, the first day of the 2025-26 school year, 100 TCS sophomores will move into a newly renovated facility on the main FSU Panama City campus, 4750 Collegiate Drive. During their summer break, the second floor of the Technology Building (a 6,997-square-foot space) was renovated for the TCS students, including new lighting, flooring, security measures, water fountains, furnishing, smartboards and more.

The 11th-graders, that original 2023 cohort, will join them on the FSU Panama City campus on Aug. 25, when classes begin for FSU students. That’s because they are now fully dual-enrolled in college courses.

“As we move into Year 3, we will have almost 300 students in grades 9-11, adding one more group of students next year to complete our high school,” said Debbi Whitaker, TCS director. “We have grown to the point we are expanding onto the FSU Panama City campus, with our 10th- and 11th-grade students being on the college campus throughout the day.”

The TCS faculty and staff rosters also continue to grow, as upper-level math and science faculty and additional support personnel join the team.

The steady growth has been marked by a chain of achievements for TCS. In the spring, TCS earned its second “A” designation from the Florida Department of Education—scoring higher than any other K-12 school in Bay County.

"Earning an ‘A’ grade from Florida's DOE is a great indicator of our school's continued success, especially considering we earned an ‘A’ last year, our inaugural year,” Whitaker said. “The ‘A’ in both years shows the commitment from students, families, faculty and staff. We were also the highest ranked school in Bay County, demonstrating TCS to be an excellent educational opportunity for students across our area.”

In June 2025, the St. Joe Community Foundation donated $38,177 to TCS for facility needs. The money helped to equip and furnish a new study room as part of the renovation. The space will be used by TCS 10th-graders, primarily, although the 11th grade students can also access the room during free periods.

“We needed a space for them to be able to study together, have study groups or advising sessions,” Whitaker said. “Within this dedicated space, we will have technology connected to flexible seating, so it is really a state-of-the-art area for these students.”

Also new for this year is the opportunity for 11th grade students to participate in academic student clubs and organizations on the FSU PC campus, which will broaden their academic experience while building their college resumes.