Where is the school located? The school is located at Belmont Baptist Church in Temple Terrace. The address is 7834 North 56th Street, Tampa, FL 33617.

How can I contact the school?
Phone number: 813.988.7700     Fax number: 813.988.7740
Website address: www.thepaideiaschool.org
Email: headmaster@thepaideiaschool.org
- Our Headmaster is Mr. Joe Bray

You are a young school. How do you know Classical Christian education works? We are a young school, but our headmaster and teachers come from a rich background in Classical Christian education. In short, we have seen it work and are committed to making it work equally well at the Paideia School. In addition, there are a number of Classical Christian schools around the country that have been highly successful in graduating virtuous scholars. Even more significantly, the classical method of education was used successfully for centuries before being replaced by “progressive” teaching methods in the mid-19th century. It was the method used to educate the great reformers of the church and our U.S. founding fathers. The methodology we use has been proven to be successful over history and in our present time.

Will there be an Open House? We hold Open Houses on several occasions throughout the school year (check our website), and we can schedule tours of the facility anytime.

What is the application process and when is the best time to apply? We will consider new student applications beginning each January. All interested families will need to fill out an application and pay a non-refundable application fee per student. Testing appointents with the Dean of Academics and family interviews with the Headmaster will be scheduled at a mutually convenient time.

Will my child need to be tested? Yes. All incoming students will be tested for admission and proper placement. This ensures that we can all do our best work.
Admission testing for students is administered exclusively at Paideia.


Can tuition be paid on a monthly basis? Tuition can be paid in full by February 1, 2010 or in 10 monthly installments, beginning February 5, 2010. If you elect to pay in installments, you will need to set up automatic debiting with the school accountant.

Don’t some other Christian schools charge a lower tuition? At first glance, our tuition/fee structure may seem higher, but consider the following facts. We collect field trip monies for the year up front, which is different than most schools. We also don’t engage in lots of fundraising activities (candy bar sales, etc), because we intend to turn our students into scholars, not salesmen. The result is that we do not nickel-and-dime families for money all year long. By the time you add in all of the “hidden costs” of other schools, our tuition/fees will seem comparable. All of this – plus the rigorous academics and spiritually vibrant atmosphere of a Classical Christian school.

Do you offer multiple child discounts? No. We believe it is more appropriate to provide tuition assistance to those who truly need it than to provide automatic, across-the-board discounts to those who may not need them. This more fully complies with the Biblical mandates to be good stewards of the resources God gives us and to assist those that have financial need.

Do you offer financial aid? The Paideia School of Tampa Bay is committed to developing a student body that reflects the body of Christ, the Church. Therefore, we are committed to offering financial aid to families with financial need.

Do you accept vouchers? No. The accrediting organization with which we are affiliated, ACCS, does not permit member institutions to accept vouchers.

What is your student/teacher ratio? Our current student/teacher ratio is 6-1. At no future time would we ever exceed a student/teacher ratio of 15-1, so that we may maximize the educational experience of our students.

What subjects do you teach? We have posted on the website the “Curricular Program” listing the classes to be offered in the Grammar school and the Dialectic and Rhetoric schools.

Do you offer modern language instruction? No. The Paideia School has chosen to establish a strong classical languages program, which will help students to learn modern languages if they pursue them in college. If a student enters the school without prior Latin instruction or with gaps in Latin instruction (e.g., has taken a modern language class in 8th or 9th grade), the Latin instructor will be flexible to work with the student and his parents to ensure the student catches up. In some cases, this will involve private tutorials with our Latin instructor.

How do you teach Bible? See the “Curricular Program” for details on specific courses. At all grade levels, students engage in systematic memorization of Bible verses and concepts. Also, at all grade levels, we stick closely to the school’s Statement of Faith and ecumenical creeds in teaching doctrine. For secondary doctrinal issues, we will teach the various views of orthodox, evangelical Christianity from an objective, unbiased point of view.

Do you offer computer training? No. In the Grammar school, we emphasize the more foundational penmanship, reading and writing skills. Upper School students are expected to become familiar with basic word processing tools, but we believe familiarity with these tools can be adequately obtained through summer skills courses or informal, at-home tutorials.

Do you offer Honors and AP courses? We offer many Honors courses, but choose not to participate in the very restrictive AP guidelines set out by the College Board. See the “Curricular Program” for details.

Do you offer standardized testing? Yes, we do offer CTP4s (Comprehensive Testing Program, 4th edition) for the purposes of norm referencing. Students at Classical Christian schools tend to do well on most academic areas of standardized tests. Even more important, we want our students to excel in ways which may not be reflected on these types of tests: character, virtue, honor, etc.

What is your grading scale? Kindergarten through 2nd grades will be reported through explanation and a scale of E = Excellent, S = Satisfactory, N = Needs Improvement, U = Unsatisfactory. Student grades for 3rd - 12th will be reported using the following scale:

Do you offer guidance counseling for upper school students? Yes. Our Dean of Academics, will assist families in making college choices and preparing for post-high school education.

What kind of extra-curricular activities do you offer? We offer after-school activities such as private music lessons (piano, guitar), play practices for the Spring Dinner Theater, Running Club (seasonal), and Odyssey of the Mind.