WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — A new $80 million medical magnet high school is coming to Wesley Chapel, and Pasco County school leaders say it will give students a direct path into one of the region's fastest-growing industries.
The school will be located near Double Branch Elementary off Meadow Pointe Boulevard. It is slated for completion in 2028 and will be open to any student who lives in Pasco County at no extra cost to families.
WATCH: $80M medical magnet high school aims to put Pasco County students first in line for local healthcare jobs
Pasco County Schools Superintendent John Legg said the investment is driven by a projected surge in local demand for healthcare workers.
"We know that there's gonna be a need for 30,000 new medical jobs here in the North Tampa Bay community in the next 5 years, and we want our students here in Pasco County to be front of the line for those jobs," Legg said.
Legg said the school is designed to give students a meaningful head start before they enter the workforce or pursue higher education.
"What we don't want is these employers to hire outside of Pasco County — we want them to hire our students first," Legg said.
The school will offer electives focused on the medical field, including nursing programs and labs with simulated operating and surgical areas.
Wesley Chapel parent Lauren Mataja said the timing and location make the opportunity especially valuable.
"We have a lot of hospitals here, so I think it's a great opportunity, especially for high school age kids. I think it's really hard at 18 to decide what you want to do forever," Mataja said.
Wesley Chapel grandparent Ed Procopio said he wishes a program like this had existed when his daughter — now an OR nurse — was in school.
"It's a very successful field, but knowing that she could have had courses in high school preparing her for the college and further really helps," Procopio said.
The school is being funded through Penny for Pasco, local property taxes, and support from medical partners in the community.
Both Mataja and Procopio said the investment is one worth making.
"Money going to school is always well worth spending on," Procopio said.
"I think education is always worth it," Mataja said.
Legg said students currently in 7th grade may want to begin considering whether the school is the right fit for them ahead of its projected 2028 opening.
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