Tocoi Creek High School

Tocoi Creek High School (TCHS) is a new public high school in the World Golf Village census-designated place,[2] in north central area of St. Johns County, Florida near St. Augustine. It is part of the St. Johns County School District and opened to students for the 2021-22 academic year.

Tocoi Creek High School
Address
11200 St. Johns Parkway

St. Augustine
,
Florida
32092

United States
Coordinates29°58′8.2″N 81°29′19.9″W
Information
TypePublic high school
Established2021
School districtSt. Johns County School District
SuperintendentTim Forson
PrincipalJay Willets
Grades9-11 for 2021-22 only[1] and 9-12 thereafter
Campus size68.79 acres
Color(s)  Burnt Orange
  Gunmetal Gray
  Black
Team nameToros
RivalsBeachside High School
Websitetchs.stjohns.k12.fl.us

World Golf Village is zoned to Tocoi Creek.[2][3]

Overview

TCHS operated with students in grades 9-11 for its first year in 2021-22 and will offer grade 12 the following academic year.[4] Three career academy labs, which will focus on healthcare, emerging technologies, and construction management, will be available along with a dual enrollment program to earn college credits through St. Johns River State College.[5][6] The school will also offer Advanced Placement coursework.[7]

The school plans to establish full performance band, orchestra, and jazz ensembles and host theatrical productions in its dedicated auditorium.[8]

With the addition of TCHS, the school district adjusted attendance zoning so some students who previously attended Allen D. Nease High School and Bartram Trail High School will instead attend the new school.[9] The primary feeder schools are Pacetti Bay Middle School and Mill Creek Academy.[10]

Namesake

The school is named after a tributary of the St. Johns River called Tocoi Creek, which was once home to the settlement of Tocoi.[11] Tocoi is a Timucuan word that means water lily,[12] and the indigenous Timucua lived in what is now present day northern Florida and southeast Georgia.[13]

The name was chosen by the St. Johns County school board on December 8, 2020.[14] The board considered the name North River High School, but ultimately Tocoi Creek High School received the majority of votes.[15]

History

Construction of TCHS was funded by a half-cent sales tax approved by county residents.[16] Culpepper Construction Company of Tallahassee secured a $60.8 million contract to build the school, and the school was designed by Orlando-based SchenkelShultz Architecture.[17]

In December 2020, the school announced its nickname would be the Toros with school colors of burnt orange, gunmetal gray, and black.[18][19] The Toros logo and visual identity was designed by Rhodes Branding, a marketing agency based in Columbia, South Carolina.[20] During the mascot naming process, the school's inaugural principal, Jay Willets, said that bulls or toros would be an appropriate name because the land the school now sits on was a cow pasture prior to the school's construction.[21] This land was formerly owned by the Pacetti family who sold the 68.79 acre plot to the school district for just over $7 million in August 2019.[22][23]

TCHS was initially anticipated to open to students on August 10, 2021, but the St. Johns County school board voted to delay the start of the county's 2021-22 school year by 6 days, in part to give a cushion for more time to complete construction projects at TCHS and Pine Island Academy, a new Kindergarten through eighth grade school in the county.[24]

Controversy

In August 2022, an incident between TCHS assistant principal Erin Lynn and dean and football coach Jerry Kyle Skipper sparked an investigation by the school district. The incident involved sexual misconduct in the workplace between Lynn and Skipper, and both were put on administrative leave by the school district for inappropriate actions in November 2022. Lynn resigned four days after being put on administrative leave while Skipper faces termination for "interactions with another colleague that involved flirtatious and sexual misconduct in and out of the workplace."[25]

Athletics

TCHS plans to offer athletics programs in football, volleyball, baseball, softball, swimming and diving, soccer, lacrosse, basketball, tennis, golf, weightlifting, cross country, track and field, competitive cheer, competitive dance, and wrestling.[26]

The school's athletic director announced in February 2021 that TCHS would be hiring over 60 athletic staff positions and that the Toros have partnered with Baker's Sporting Goods of Jacksonville and adidas for equipment and apparel.[27]

Football

The Toros will compete as an independent in football for their inaugural season in 2021, a decision made by the Florida High School Athletic Association.[28] The first football game in school history is scheduled against Paxon on August 20, 2021 and will take place at St. Augustine High School.[29]

References
  1. "Schools – St. Johns County School District". Archived from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  2. "2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP (INDEX): World Golf Village CDP, FL" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved August 2, 2022. - Compare to the school zone maps.
  3. "2022 - 2023 St. Johns County School Attendance Zones Tocoi Creek High School" (PDF). St. Johns County School District. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 2, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2022. - Maps from here.
  4. "Schools – St. Johns County School District". Archived from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  5. "Academies – Tocoi Creek High School". Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  6. "SJR State - Collegiate High School - St. Johns County". Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  7. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. http://www.gis.bocc.co.st-johns.fl.us/School_zone_proposed/
  11. "General Acts and Resolutions Adopted by the Legislature of Florida". Office of the Floridian and Journal. July 23, 1879. Archived from the original on February 22, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2021 – via Google Books.
  12. "Newsletter" (PDF). www-tchs.stjohns.k12.fl.us. 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 5, 2021. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  13. Jacksonville, Mailing Address: 12713 Fort Caroline Road; Us, FL 32225 Phone: 904-641-7155 Contact. "The Timucua: North Florida's Early People - Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Archived from the original on February 19, 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  14. Jones, Colleen Michele. "Tocoi Creek High School name pays homage to St. Johns County geographical, historical ties". St. Augustine Record. Archived from the original on February 22, 2022. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  15. Jones, Colleen Michele. "Tocoi Creek High School name pays homage to St. Johns County geographical, historical ties". St. Augustine Record. Archived from the original on February 22, 2022. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  16. Jones, Colleen Michele; Record, St. Augustine (January 16, 2021). "St. Johns County half-cent sales tax to build schools at critical midway point". St. Augustine Record. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  17. Gibson, Travis (February 6, 2020). "School board approves $60M bid to build new high school in St. Johns County". WJXT. Archived from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  18. "Tocoi Creek Logo and Mascot Reveal – Tocoi Creek High School". Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  19. Staff, ActionNewsJax com News (December 8, 2020). "Name, colors for new St. Johns County high school announced". WJAX. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  20. "Rhodes Branding - Tocoi Creek High School Visual Identity Reveal". Facebook. Archived from the original on February 22, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  21. "High School HHH will soon have a name and mascot". October 29, 2020. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  22. "St. Johns County approves plan to buy land to build new high school". July 23, 2019. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  23. "QPublic.net - St. Johns County, FL - Report: 0281100090". Archived from the original on February 22, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  24. "St. Johns County School Board approves extending summer break by one week". Archived from the original on August 14, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  25. "Asst. Principal quits, Dean/Football coach could be sacked amid 'inappropriate actions' at school". Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  26. "What athletic programs will be offered at Tocoi Creek High School? – Tocoi Creek High School". Archived from the original on February 22, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  27. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  28. "FHSAA rolls out new high school football classifications for Northeast Florida". Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  29. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 14, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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