Florida's first 'AI-integrated' middle school opens this fall in Tallahassee

Yahoo

23-06-2025

Tallahassee State College is partnering with Charter Schools USA to open Florida's first AI-integrated middle school this August.
Charter Schools USA (CSUSA), the second largest charter school operator in the nation, was unanimously approved by the TSC District Board of Trustees June 16 to open the Innovation Academy of Excellence, which will serve grades 6-8 at the Appleyard Drive campus.
Students will learn how to use artificial intelligence ethically and efficiently since it will be embedded and integrated throughout the curriculum.
"This is an interesting opportunity – and a groundbreaking opportunity," TSC President Jim Murdaugh told the board during its meeting.
The college's own charter school, Tallahassee Collegiate Academy opened in 2023 with a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and college preparedness focus for grades 9-12. The school earned an A grade from the state education department after its first year.
Even though the new middle school is expected to feed into the high school and will offer students high school credits through TCA classes, the two schools will operate as separate entities and are only connected through TSC's governing board and will report to them.
The Innovation Academy of Excellence will deliver a STEM focus in a micro school format similar to Tallahassee Collegiate Academy, with only 100-125 students expected to enroll in August.
More: Tallahassee Collegiate Academy holds dedication ceremony, celebrates recent successes
No principal has been named, and teachers have not yet been determined for the school. It is unclear when CSUSA will appoint a leader and staff.
The free public charter middle school will operate at no cost to the college; its operator, CSUSA, will pay administrative fees to TSC. The school is slated to open this August in the current University Partners building.
The decision to open the middle school under an external operator aligns with the college's desire to find innovative pathways to education, Calandra Stringer – TSC provost and vice president for academic affairs – told the Tallahassee Democrat. She said most of the students who attend the middle school will hopefully advance to TCA for high school.
CSUSA is not new to the Tallahassee area. It operated Renaissance Academy, a public charter school that was located on Mahan Drive before it was abruptly closed in May due to low enrollment and poor academic performance.
The building on Mahan Drive is now being leased to an Orlando-based private school company and will open also in August as Tallahassee Preparatory Academy.
"When I look at that micro-school concept, which allows students to have that personalized learning experience, that's innovative," Stringer told the Tallahassee Democrat. "They didn't have that at Renaissance Academy. So, their approach is on brand because they're bringing something innovative."
More: New private school in Tallahassee will replace Title I charter school
Alaijah Brown covers children & families for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at [e-mail]. Follow her on Twitter/X: @AlaijahBrown3.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee State College to host middle school focused on AI, STEM