First Coast Christian School

History

First Coast Christian School was founded in 1981 as a ministry of the formerly known Jacksonville Baptist Temple and was located on Beaver Street in Jacksonville, Fla. In 1985, the school moved, together with the church, to our present location on Blanding Boulevard. The church's name was changed to First Coast Baptist Church and the school was then named First Coast Christian School. In 1990, Dr. Verle Ackerman became the Administrator of the school and served in this capacity until 1997, when Mr. Morry Kemple was called to become the school's current Administrator. Under his leadership, the school saw remarkable growth and earned full accreditation through the Florida Association of Christian Colleges and Schools. Mr. Kemple retired in 2014 after many years of faithful service. Mr. Richard L. Spain Jr, is currently the School Administrator and has over 30 years of experience in Christian education. In 2001, the church called Reverend Richard Edwards as Pastor and President of the school.

• Mission Statement

The mission of FCCS is to provide a quality, Christ-centered education in a safe, Christian atmosphere, to reach the heart of each student for Jesus Christ, and to prepare our students for the future by promoting spiritual growth and developing a biblical worldview.

• Enrollment

First Coast Christian School has a current enrollment of about 640 students:

• Male -52%, Female - 48%
• Caucasian - 47%, African American - 33%, Hispanic - 11%, Asian - 7%, Other - 2%
• Membership at First Coast Baptist Church: 7%
• FacultyThere are 45 faculty members. Thirty-three have taught at First Coast Christian School for 10 years or more. The student to faculty ratio is 14:1.

Curriculum Courses are available for the standard and college preparatory tracks. Advanced math courses begin in seventh grade. Additional advanced and/or honors courses in Bible, math, science and social studies begin in ninth grade. For those who meet the academic requirements, dual enrollment through Florida State College at Jacksonville are offered beginning in eleventh grade. Biblical worldview principles are integrated into every course area.On campus, courses are taught from a distinctively Christian perspective, using Christian textbooks and e-books enhanced by theuse of iPads. Each classroom is equipped with technology resources to enhance the curriculum such as computers, iPads, and Apple TVs. Our learning management system, which assists with organizing content for each course, gives students the ability to access assignments as well as tests and quizzes directly from their iPad.

• For a complete list of the courses offered at our school, pleaseclick here.

• Scholarships and College Readiness

85% of our graduating seniors attend college after graduation. In the last ten years, 50% of our graduating seniors have qualified for Bright Futures Scholarships.After FCCSOver the last ten years, our graduates have been accepted at the following colleges and universities:

• Bacone College
• Baptist Bible College (MO)
• Bethune Cookman College
• Cedarville University
• Clearwater Christian College
• Concordia University (Irvine, CA)
• Crown College
• Edward Waters College
• Flagler College
• Florida Christian College
• Florida A&M University
• Florida International University
• Florida State College Jacksonville
• Florida State University
• Gardner-Webb University
• Georgetown University
• Hyles-Anderson College
• Jacksonville University
• Liberty University
• Marion Military Institute
• Mars Hill College
• Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
• Milligan College
• Palm Beach Atlantic University
• Peace College
• Pensacola Christian College
• St. John`s River Comm. College
• Southeastern University
• Southern Wesleyan University
• Stetson University
• Tallahassee Comm. College
• Trinity Baptist College
• University of Alabama
• University of Alabama (Birmingham)
• University of Central Florida
• University of Florida
• University of Missouri
• University of Mobile
• University of North Florida
• University of South Florida
• University of West Florida
• Warner University
• Word of Life Bible Institute