Collegiate School at FSU PC named a School of Excellence by Florida Board of Education

The Collegiate School at FSU Panama City was named a School of Excellence by the Florida Board of Education in October, a designation that recognizes the school has maintained a high grade on the annual state evaluation scale.

“Being named a School of Excellence shows that every member of the TCS and FSU community — students and families, teachers and staff, board and administrators — has not only contributed to a culture of excellence but has proven that high expectations can become part of your everyday values,” said Debbi Whitaker, school director.

TCS was recognized as the top-performing high school in Bay County. Only one other high school in the county, North Bay Haven Career Academy, also received the School of Excellence designation.

TCS is a free public school operated by FSU Panama City and open to students across Bay County. For more information on The Collegiate School, visit https://tcs.fsu.edu/. Applications for the 2027-28 school year are now open.

The state has awarded TCS an “A” grade every year since its inception in 2023. According to Florida Statutes, schools recognized by this program must earn at last a “B” grade for two of the previous three years. The program was created by the Florida Legislature in 2017. Schools that initially qualify for the designation retain the honor for up to three years, at the end of which they may renew the designation.

To see the list of Florida schools that were named a 2025-2026 School of Excellence, visit the website https://www.fldoe.org/accountability/accountability-reporting/school-grades/.

The designation isn’t merely a point of honor for the school, but it also allows schools to waive certain administrative requirements and be more flexible. Those special allowances include increased principal autonomy; teachers may claim in-service points toward maintaining their teaching certifications; exemptions from district policies regarding start and end times for the school day; and other benefits.

For 2025-2026, 768 schools were designated as a School of Excellence across 51 local educational agencies; 612 maintained their designation, 86 renewed their designation and 70 were newly designated.