St. John's Episcopal Parish Day School was founded by Father C. W. Brickman, then Rector of St. John's Parish, and opened in September, 1951. In 1954, Father George Burchill became the School's first full-time Headmaster.  He retired in December 1992, after 38 years of service.  Gordon R. Rode, currently Headmaster, was appointed in July 2005. During the long Burchill tenure, the School became widely known for its academic and disciplinary rigor.  School facilities were expanded, allowing students to continue through the eighth grade (Form X).  Enrollment increased accordingly.  During the 1957 to 1961 years, St. John’s also offered a ninth grade.  In 1961 the seventh through ninth grades were sent to the newly opened Berkeley Preparatory School.  St. John’s did reinstate the seventh and eighth grades shortly thereafter.  In the mid 1970s, a small campus was purchased and remodeled, providing a separate and age-appropriate place for pre-kindergarten (four-year-old) and kindergarten (five-year-old) students (Forms I & II), the Primary School on Rome Avenue.  In 1999, when it was determined that expanding the existing main campus on Orleans Avenue would be impossible, the St. John's Parish Vestry developed an opportunity to purchase a substantial land parcel with two buildings, in order to create a separate middle school campus. A successful capital campaign brought in over $4 million - enough for the land purchase and nearly all the expenses of reconstructing the existing buildings and adding a new gymnasium and classroom annex. The reconstructed buildings, including a new chapel, were opened to grades 5-8 (Forms VII - X) in August 2001. The gymnasium and classroom annex - including a new science laboratory - were opened in the fall of 2002. Early in 2000, steps were taken to create the School's first Board of Trustees and to establish a separate non-profit corporation for the School. Corporate ownership of the campuses and facilities was settled on the members of the Parish Vestry. The new Board of Trustees and Headmaster started out together in July, 2000. During the ensuing school year, a comprehensive Strategic Plan was developed and adopted unanimously by the Board of Trustees and unanimously ratified by the Parish Vestry.   The School's mission is to provide a superior elementary and middle school education    (PK-8), in preparation for the demands of  rigorous secondary school studies. Encouraged are academic growth, responsibility, and personal effectiveness in a nurturing environment of Christian values and high standards, resulting in: graduates' strong performance in their further education; lifelong dedication to learning; and spiritually guided lives of accomplishment, service, and outreach.   As an outreach of the church, St. John's objective is for its graduates to have a guiding spiritual and ethical commitment throughout their lives, success in their formal education, and the attitudes and skills which will make them highly effective and caring adults. Their experiences at St. John's should lay a strong spiritual and moral foundation. Daily Episcopal worship and sound Christian religious instruction, involves all students, including other denominations and faiths, and foster specific attention to the spiritual and moral aspects of daily life. The School cultivates the personal growth and integrity of each student, and requires everyone's respect for the needs and rights of others, and builds responsive awareness to humanitarian needs.   The School's curriculum was expanded in 2001 to include schoolwide fine arts instruction, including both studio art and instrumental music. In the last several years, the mathematics and science curricula have been on hand intensified. New athletic facilities have inspired heightened enthusiasm for sports throughout the St. John's community, highlighted by the School's first conference championships in tennis and basketball. Across the years, the School has maintained accreditation by the Florida Council of Independent Schools and Florida Kindergarten Council, alongside membership in the National Association of Episcopal Schools, National Association of Independent Schools, Educational Records Bureau, and National Junior Honor Society. St. John's School requires use of the School Scholarship Service in evaluating all financial assistance applications.