SEASIDE SCHOOL™ Celebrates 30 Years of Turning Community Commitment Into Student Success

Ranked No. 1 among Florida public charter schools serving grades 5–12, the SEASIDE SCHOOL™ honors the people, partnerships and shared purpose behind three decades of achievement.

SANTA ROSA BEACH, Fla. – October 27, 2026 – Thirty years ago, a group of local families believed their community could create something extraordinary for its children. On Friday, October 23, SEASIDE SCHOOL™ gathered in the SEASIDE® Lyceum with the people who helped turn that belief into an enduring educational legacy.

Community partners, donors, founding charter members, educators, and supporters came together to celebrate the school’s 30th anniversary, honoring the generations of people whose vision, investment, and dedication have helped SEASIDE SCHOOL™ become one of Florida’s oldest and highest-performing public charter schools.

Today, SEASIDE SCHOOL™ ranks as the No. 1 public charter school serving grades 5–12 in Florida, based on the Florida Department of Education’s 2025–2026 results. But the anniversary celebration centered on the work behind that distinction: three decades of knowing students well, challenging them to achieve more, and bringing a community together to expand what public education can make possible.

“Thirty years of success comes from people making a commitment to students and renewing that commitment every single day,” said Drew Ward, Executive Director of SEASIDE SCHOOL™. “It happens when a teacher recognizes what a student needs, when a family becomes a true partner in learning, and when someone in our community invests in an opportunity that otherwise would not exist. Our rankings reflect that work. The real impact is in the confidence, choices, and futures our students leave here with.”

A Small Beginning With Lasting Ambition

Founded in 1996, SEASIDE SCHOOL™ opened with 36 students, two teachers, and one administrator, serving grades six through eight. Its founding families sought an educational experience that combined academic challenge with personal attention and a strong connection to the surrounding community.

That vision has grown into a tuition-free public charter school organization serving grades five through 12 through SEASIDE NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL™ and Seacoast Collegiate High School.

As its programs and opportunities have expanded, the school has maintained an approach rooted in relationships. Small classes and cohort-based learning help educators understand how individual students learn, recognize when they need support, and identify when they are ready for a greater challenge.

That attention works alongside rigorous instruction and a commitment to educating the whole child. Students build academic skills while exploring leadership, the arts, athletics, service, and experiences that connect classroom learning to life beyond school.

The result is a culture in which high expectations are supported by meaningful relationships, and where achievement grows from the daily work of students, educators and families.

Excellence That Opens Doors

SEASIDE SCHOOL™ has earned Florida’s highest school grade for 25 consecutive years, demonstrating a level of sustained achievement that spans generations of students.

Its Class of 2026 continued that record, including a 100% graduation rate; 83% earned an Associate in Arts degree alongside their high school diploma; 81% graduated with Honors; and 80% earned industry certifications.

Through its partnership with Northwest Florida State College, Seacoast Collegiate High School connects students with college coursework while they complete their high school education. Those opportunities allow students to earn college credentials, reduce future education costs, and enter their next chapter with experience and momentum.

The school continues to build on that foundation through opportunities in areas such as artificial intelligence, engineering, and rocketry, connecting academic preparation with an evolving world of college and career possibilities.

These outcomes reflect an educational model built to make graduation the beginning of a student’s opportunities.

A Community That Keeps Showing Up

The anniversary gathering also recognized a defining part of SEASIDE SCHOOL™’s story: its community has remained an active participant in its success.

Founding charter members helped establish the school’s direction. Educators and administrators translated that vision into daily practice. Families, volunteers, donors and community partners have continued to contribute the time, resources and relationships that help students thrive.

“Every person we honored at this celebration is part of the answer to how SEASIDE SCHOOL™ has sustained its success for 30 years,” said Andrew Jordan, Chair of the SEASIDE SCHOOL™ Board of Directors. “Our founders were willing to build something they believed their community needed. The generations who followed have been willing to care for it, invest in it, and help it evolve. Our responsibility now is to carry that same conviction forward so that the opportunities available to tomorrow’s students are even greater.”

That shared responsibility continues to shape the school’s future. Priorities include supporting exceptional educators, strengthening the student experience, expanding college and career pathways, and deepening the partnerships that connect the school to its community.

For SEASIDE SCHOOL™, celebrating 30 years means recognizing both what has been accomplished and what made those accomplishments possible: a clear purpose, a willingness to grow, and people who continue to show up for students.

“Our founders gave this community a school to believe in,” Ward said. “The best way we can honor them is to keep giving our students a future to believe in.”

To learn more about SEASIDE SCHOOL™, visit SeasideSchools.net. 

Prospective students and families can look ahead to joining the SEASIDE SCHOOL™ community when lottery applications for the 2027–2028 school year open in January 2027.

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About THE SEASIDE SCHOOL™

Founded in 1996, THE SEASIDE SCHOOL™ is one of Florida’s oldest and most successful public charter schools, serving students in grades 5-12 through SEASIDE NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL™ and Seacoast Collegiate High School with a mission to prepare students for success in college, careers, and beyond through a responsive, challenging, and equitable education model tailored to meet the unique needs of adolescents and young adults. Recognized as a top-performing school in Florida, THE SEASIDE SCHOOL™ has been an “A” school for 21+ consecutive years, ranking in the top 1% of public schools statewide in math and science. Students at THE SEASIDE SCHOOL™ benefit from a tuition-free education valued at over $275,000, complete with up to 60 college credits, robust extracurricular opportunities, and a mission-driven focus on leadership, community service, and personal growth. For more information, visit SeasideSchools.net.