Founded in 1996, The Seaside School, Inc. was one of the first and is now one of the oldest surviving public charter schools in Florida. Its original goal was simple – create a school to address the need for better middle school education in Walton County – and we haven’t stopped since. Seaside School now has over 330 students across two campuses serving grades 5^th through 12^th. Seaside Neighborhood School serves 5^th through 8^th grades and is located in the iconic beach town of Seaside, Florida. Located on the campus of nearby Northwest Florida State College, Seacoast Collegiate High School serves 9^th through 12^th grades, offering students the ability to graduate high school with an associate college degree.

Dr. Rosemary Williams spear-headed the movement to open a small tuition-free neighborhood school in the town of Seaside for middle school students. The school was built from the vision of individuals who recognize that each student can succeed academically and socially, even when the middle school years are notoriously seen as a time of self-doubt and low self-esteem. It opened its doors as Seaside Neighborhood School to thirty-six students, two faculty members, and one administrator. In the first year, the school was housed in two portables on the grounds of Seaside’s Lyceum lawn. Initially, the school served 6^th through 8^th grades.

Over the years, Seaside Neighborhood School continued to expand, and its students excelled. Ninth grade and then 5^th grade were eventually added. The school grew to occupy 3 buildings in Seaside and housed over 190 students. Parents expressed a strong desire to add additional high school grade levels so their children could continue their education in the Seaside tradition.