Repost
Mary Lett
Pensacola News Journal 9/30/25
Four years ago, Pensacola State College’s Charter Academy opened on the Warrington campus with 42 high school juniors and seniors.
Of that “charter” group, 17 graduated in May 2023, with five of those seniors also earning associate degrees while others received transferable college credits.
Fast forward to the 2025-2026 academic year, the charter academy now has 209 ninth through 12th graders who started classes in August. Most students are at the school’s home base, the Douglas V. Broxson Charter Academy Building, on the Pensacola campus. A few students still attend classes on the Warrington campus.
After undergoing a $1.5 million to $2 million in renovations, Building 11—formerly the Hobbs Center for Teaching Excellence, Collegiate High School and the Continuing Education center—is now the charter academy’s home.
And along with having all of the amenities of a traditional high school—such as a cafeteria, extracurricular clubs and a National Honor Society—for the first time this year, ninth and 10th grade students can dissect frogs and perform other virtual reality and augmented reality experiments using zSpace immersive technology computers.
Charter Academy Interim Dean Karen McCabe said the school uses a rigorous honors curriculum and students must have at least a 3.0 grade point average, among other criteria.
“It must be a good fit for the student. The goal is to prepare our freshmen and sophomores for college classes once they become juniors,” McCabe said.
Juniors and seniors are dual enrollment students at Pensacola State.
“We will never be a school with 1,000 or 2,000 students, but we are all about helping our students be successful and making sure they are ready for college,” McCabe said.
In the charter school initial application, Pensacola State topped off enrollment at 300 students, 75 per grade level. This fall’s ninth-grade class has nearly reached that milestone.
Since classes started in fall 2022, the academy has seen steady growth enrollment-wise and academically. In 2023-2024, enrollment increased to 80 juniors and seniors. Fall 2024-2025, ninth- and 10th graders were added to the mix, with a total of 112 students. However, this year the charter school saw its biggest enrollment spike with the addition of 72 ninth graders and 47 10th graders.
In 2024 and 2025, the school also earned “A” grades from the Florida Department of Education. PSC President Ed Meadows is seeking a high-performing charter school designation from the FDOE.
Faculty and staff have also grown, McCabe said, noting the first year she was the academy’s principal and had two other staff members. Currently, the charter academy has two assistant principals, six full-time teachers, one full-time guidance counselor and three administrative coordinators.
The average class size is 22 to 23 students, McCabe said, adding ninth-and 10th graders have a six-period day.
Meadows attributes the academy’s growth to students’ high performance on state assessments and the fact that the school is a comprehensive high school.
“With the addition of the ninth and 10th grades along with receiving an A school grade for two consecutive years, parents and students know that they can get a top-notch education here at the charter academy,” Meadows said at the recent ribbon cutting and naming ceremony for the Douglas V. Broxson PSC Charter Academy Building.
The facility was named after Broxson, a former Florida senator, PSC alum and supporter of the college and the high school.
“The special aspect of it is it’s a dual enrollment charter academy where up to the first two years of college credit is free to students. So graduates can actually leave with a high school diploma and be a rising junior at a four-year college or university,” Meadows said, adding graduates can earn associate degrees and career certificates.
In many ways, the charter academy strives to be similar to traditional high schools, McCabe said.
“We held our first prom in 2024, we have a Parent Teacher Student Association chapter and extracurriculars like a Student Government Association, a Speech and Debate team, an Interact Club and more,” she said.
With students coming from as far north as Century and east as Navarre, the school even provides bus transportation. Upperclassmen are allowed to drive to school.
The opportunity to be dual enrolled attracted senior Joi Wilmer to the charter academy. Now in her second year at the school, Wilmer likes the flexible schedule, college environment and the sense of being “somewhat” independent.
“When we’re in our college classes, no one knows we’re still in high school. We’re treated just like any other college student. The same expectations are there,” said Wilmer, 18, who used to attend Trinitas Christian School.
After graduating in May with an associate degree, Wilmer plans to attend Nova Southeastern University and major in prelaw.
Bill Emerson, the academy’s former dean who retired in August, said the renovations were funded with Charter School Program grants and other state funds.
“Renovations on the building’s first floor started and were completed in 2024,” Emerson said, adding the decision was made to upgrade the second floor of the building, which is now home to more classrooms as well as chemistry and biology labs.
During a recent Board of Trustees meeting, Meadows also suggested adding some sports teams such soccer and women’s cross-country to the academy. Charter Academy students can also elect to participate in athletics or NJROTC at their school of record.
Meadows said he is most proud of the academic success of students and graduates.
“Sal Zendajas, a 2024 graduate, earned his associate degree when he finished high school, a bachelor’s degree at 19 and is working on his master’s at UWF. He plans to enroll in OCS – Naval Officer Candidate School,” Meadows shared.
May 2025 graduate Jake Hutchinson also earned an associate degree in December and started nursing school at PSC in January—as a high school senior.