The St. Joe Company and Walton County School District Announce the Creation of a Steam High School in Walton County, Florida

The St. Joe Company (NYSE: JOE) (“St. Joe”) and Walton County School District today introduced the Magnet Innovation Center at St. Joe Watersound, a STEAM high school facility unlike any other school in the region.

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A student works on a 3D printer at the Magnet Innovation Center (Photo: Business Wire)

The Magnet Innovation Center was unveiled at a press conference on Thursday featuring remarks from St. Joe CEO Jorge Gonzalez, Magnet Innovation Center Director Carrie Sneed and Walton County School District Superintendent Russell Hughes. The announcement was commemorated with a presentation of keys which were uniquely designed by students and created using the Center’s 3D printer.

St. Joe will continue to own the site, located at 133 S. Watersound Parkway, but enable the school to operate under an agreement with the Walton County School District. St. Joe and the Magnet Innovation Center will share the campus until St. Joe relocates its corporate offices to the Beckrich Office Park in Panama City Beach, which it intends to do in the spring of 2020. At that time, the school will be able to utilize the entire facility.

The inaugural students of the Magnet Innovation Center have been taking classes at South Walton High School since the beginning of the 2019-20 school year while they await the completion of renovations at the new campus. This first phase of renovations is expected to be completed in December. The Walton County School District has worked for several months to build laboratories and classrooms and to enhance campus safety and accessibility.

“We could not be more pleased to see our office campus go to a use that will be such an asset for the local community and region. Our campus is laid out perfectly for a school and large enough to accommodate many years of growth,” said St. Joe CEO Jorge Gonzalez. “We are firm believers that a rising tide lifts all boats. When good things happen for the community, good things happen for our residents. This enhances the educational opportunities in our community, which is good for everyone.”

In addition, the St. Joe Community Foundation provided a $226,118 grant that the school has used to purchase robotics and technology equipment. Created in 1999, the Foundation provides grants in the areas of education, environmental stewardship, healthy communities, and programs that honor the cultural arts. The Foundation has issued grants totaling more than $23 million in Northwest Florida since its inception.