PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – Tyndall Academy is one step closer to a new campus.

Wing Commander Colonel Chris Bergtholdt was at Tuesday night’s Bay District Schools board meeting to provide an update, sharing that the environmental assessment of the three properties being considered for the new campus will go out for comment on Sunday.

The assessment examines factors such as soil conditions and wetland conditions to determine the impact the environment would have on a school in that location.

There are three locations being considered for building a new school. Two are located on the base, and a third is off Highway 98, near the base.

This comes before the Department of War is set to visit Tyndall to evaluate Tyndall Academy as a part of a study on public schools on military installations, which, according to the school district, is an opportunity to get PSMI funds for the project.

“That’s usually an 80-20 split, so the Department of War would contribute 80% of whatever that cost is, and the local community would absorb the other 20%,” said Mark McQueen, the Bay District Schools Superintendent. “That’s why having these sites evaluated is important. So if Tyndall Academy is deemed to be high up on that list for funding, then we would already have the site ready.”

The cost of that project is estimated to be anywhere from $110 to $130 million.

Alternatively, if Tyndall is unable to get PSMI funds, Bay District Schools is considering renovating and expanding the current campus, which is estimated to cost around $40 million, and will be funded by LCI funds.

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