Trace Academy began with a group of families who shared a common vision: to create a school that partners closely with parents, prioritizes strong academics, and cultivates a Christ-centered community.

Recognizing both the strengths and limitations of traditional schools and homeschool models, these founding families set out to build something different—a school where parents are actively involved in their child’s education, relationships are central, and learning is both intentional and meaningful.

From the beginning, Trace was designed around a parent-involved model, supported by clear leadership and a commitment to excellence in both academics and character development. What started as a small, mission-driven community has grown into a school where families are deeply connected and students are known, supported, and challenged.

Trace Academy continues to be shaped by that original vision: a school built by families, for families, with a shared commitment to raising up the next generation with purpose and strong foundations.

Trace Academy offers a unique blend of structure, community, and parent involvement that sets it apart from both traditional private schools and homeschool co-ops.

Unlike a traditional private school, where all roles are filled by hired staff, Trace operates with a parent-involved model. Parents serve in meaningful roles on campus—such as teachers, assistants, and support staff—creating a highly engaged, relational environment where families are deeply invested in the life of the school.

At the same time, Trace provides more structure and consistency than a homeschool co-op. Students attend a regular weekly schedule, follow a cohesive, professionally developed curriculum, and are guided by clear leadership through our Head of School and Dean of Students. This ensures academic accountability, continuity, and a unified school experience.

Additional distinctives include:

• Small class sizes and strong student-teacher relationships

• A shortened, focused school day that maximizes learning time

• An integrated approach to faith, character, and academics

• A close-knit community where students are known and supported

Trace Academy is designed for families who want the best of both worlds: the consistency and quality of a school, combined with the involvement and ownership of a homeschool environment.

Yes. Every Trace teacher is carefully selected, trained, and supported. Our parent-teacher model brings together skilled educators who are also deeply invested in the school community—creating a high-trust, high-engagement learning environment where students are known, challenged, and supported. Read more

Trace Academy is a parent-involved school where families actively partner in their child’s education. Each family serves on campus two days per week in a meaningful staff role—such as teaching, assisting, or supporting operations.

Our leadership structure ensures both strong governance and daily excellence. A parent-led Board of Directors provides oversight of the school’s mission and direction, while a parent-led Management Team supports day-to-day operations. A full-time, on-campus leader—the Head of School —provides consistent leadership, guides staff, and oversees academics and student culture.

This model creates a highly engaged, accountable, and relational school environment where students are deeply known and supported.

Yes. Trace Academy administers the TerraNova standardized assessment, a nationally recognized test that provides insight into student achievement and academic growth.

We use TerraNova as one of several tools to evaluate progress and guide instruction, helping us identify strengths and areas for growth. Our approach to testing is balanced—while the results are valuable, they are not the sole measure of a student’s success. Instead, they support our commitment to developing well-rounded learners with strong academic foundations.

Yes. Each Friday, our entire student body gathers in the auditorium for a school-wide assembly. These assemblies are a meaningful part of our rhythm and provide students the opportunity to share and celebrate what they are learning in the classroom, practice public speaking, participate in worship, recognize student birthdays, and be encouraged in the year’s school theme.

In addition, some Fridays include “Buddy Time,” where students build relationships across grade levels. Students are paired with a same-gender buddy of a different age and engage in activities such as board games, outdoor play, art projects, and guided conversations. This fosters mentorship, connection, and a strong sense of community.

Beyond weekly gatherings, students also participate in special school-wide celebrations and events throughout the year, including our annual camping trip, where students worship together and grow in both faith and friendship. Older students have opportunities to help lead worship, developing leadership and confidence.

At Trace Academy, community and spiritual formation are not limited to a single event—they are woven into the life of the school through regular gatherings, shared experiences, and meaningful relationships.

Yes. The safety of our students is a top priority at Trace Academy. We maintain a secure campus through controlled access, locked doors during school hours, and security cameras with active monitoring.

Each classroom is equipped with an Emergency Procedures Manual that outlines clear protocols for severe weather, lockdowns, intruders, and fire evacuations. We also conduct periodic emergency drills, including evacuation practice, to ensure students and staff are prepared.

In addition, our parent-staff model provides consistent adult presence and supervision across campus, and our leadership team regularly reviews and reinforces all safety procedures to maintain a safe and orderly environment.

At Trace Academy, our schedule is intentionally designed to prioritize strong academics and meaningful, focused instruction. Because of our shortened school day, we do not offer traditional elective classes such as music, art, or PE as standalone courses.

However, students still experience these areas in meaningful ways. Our integrated curriculum regularly incorporates art and music into the school day, allowing creativity to be woven into core learning rather than treated as a separate subject. 

Each day also includes 30 minutes of outdoor recess, giving students time for physical activity, social interaction, and a healthy break from classroom learning.

We also believe families play a key role in a child’s development, so parents are encouraged to pursue additional electives—such as athletics, fine arts, and music—outside of school based on their child’s interests and gifts.

This balanced approach allows students to excel academically while still growing creatively, socially, and spiritually.

At Trace Academy, we take a purposeful and age-appropriate approach to technology. In the classroom, our focus is on building strong literacy, critical thinking, and hands-on learning—so we do not use computers as a primary instructional tool or maintain a computer lab.

We believe technology is best introduced under the guidance of parents at home, where its use can be intentional and aligned with each family’s values. This allows our classrooms to remain rich in discussion, reading, writing, and engagement with real materials and the natural world.

As students grow, we begin to thoughtfully prepare them for future academic expectations:

1st–8th grade: Students are encouraged to develop typing skills at home

Middle school: Through select homework assignments, students are gradually introduced to tools such as PowerPoint and Google Classroom to build readiness for high school

This balanced approach helps students develop strong foundational skills while gaining the essential technology experience they need—at the right time and in the right context.

At Trace Academy, we strive to support each student as an individual, recognizing that children learn in different ways. Our small class sizes, strong student-teacher relationships, and engaged parent involvement allow us to provide personalized attention and adapt instruction to a variety of learning styles.

Because of our parent-led model, we are limited in the specialized resources and services we are able to provide for students with significant learning or behavioral needs. We evaluate each student on a case-by-case basis to determine if Trace is the right fit and how we can best support their growth.

As a private school, Trace Academy does not offer the full range of special education services that may be available in public schools under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (Florida Statute 1002.421(1)(j)).

Trace Academy staff follow the Florida Code of Ethics for the Education Profession and are committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, and supportive learning environment. Our employees prioritize the well-being and development of every student, act with honesty and professionalism, and treat all students and families with dignity and fairness.

All staff are trained in these standards and are required to report any misconduct or concerns that could affect a student’s health, safety, or welfare. Read more