Florida High School Receives Over $600K to Build Automotive Service Academy

Triumph Gulf Coast, a nonprofit responsible for the allocation of state funds received following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, has designated a grant to rebuild the Automotive Service Academy at a Cantonment, Florida, high school.

North Escambia reports that Triumph Gulf Coast, which oversees 75% of funds from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, will be giving a grant of $617,227 to Escambia County Public Schools to revitalize the Automotive Service Academy at Tate High School.

Students in the program will be taught to perform routine maintenance on different modern vehicle models, as well as how to diagnose and repair different issues. 

While there will be classroom sessions, much of the program will be taught through hands-on work in the academy’s shop.

With the funds from Triumph Gulf Coast, Tate High School’s former auto body building will be renovated to accommodate the incoming program.

The academy has a goal of 225 Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certificates being attained by students by the end of the 2029-2030 academic year.

“This Triumph grant provides our students with opportunities to grow in the classroom with hands-one opportunities and allows us to expand the programs we can offer our students here on campus,” said Tate Principal Laura Touchstone. “It gives us the opportunity to give back to the community. Obviously, there is a need in the community for automotive, and by us having that academy, we are preparing our students for the workforce.”