No. James E. Sampson Memorial School is a Seventh-day Adventist school, but it is not only for Adventist families. The school's own materials say Adventist Education is for your child regardless of religious affiliation, and our families include Baptists, nondenominational Christians, Catholics, and families simply exploring faith.

Everyone enrolls on the same footing: families accept the school's Christ-centered mission, support its behavior expectations, and join its campus life — without joining an Adventist church.

No church membership is required to enroll. JESMS is open to families who accept the school's philosophy and conduct expectations, and students from other religions are welcome provided they treat the Bible and religious classes with respect.

Parents do sign an Enrollment Pledge supporting the school's behavior expectations, and family participation in school life is part of how JESMS works — but belonging to a congregation is not an admission requirement.

Yes, honestly — students here are taught Bible and Christian faith from the school's Adventist perspective, and they take part in worship, prayer, and the school's Week of Prayer and Education Sabbath observances.

That is the essence of the school, and families who enroll embrace it for their children. In return, Adventist practice teaches a personal relationship with Jesus, service, and character — and no family is pressured to change churches.

James E. Sampson Memorial School is a private Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) K-8 school operated by the Florida Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, serving Fort Pierce and the Treasure Coast for more than 80 years.

It is the oldest private school in St. Lucie County by the school's own account, and it pairs a Christ-centered education with a STEM-integrated curriculum, robotics, outdoor education, and small multi-grade classes on a nearly nine-acre campus on Memory Lane.

JESMS is the smallest established faith-based K-8 campus in Fort Pierce — fewer than 15 students per grade — and it has served the Treasure Coast for more than 80 years under its motto, to equip students for a lifetime of excellence.

We do not claim to be the biggest or the flashiest school; we claim to be the school where your child is known, loved, challenged, and safe. The best way to test that claim is to tour campus and talk to the principal — and parents, and students.

Parents choose JESMS for three reasons: faith woven through the school day, a class size small enough to be known, and a campus climate that feels safe and family-like.

St. Lucie County has strong schools and strong public options, but for families who want Bible and character as part of every day — not an add-on — and a teacher who knows their child's name, gifts, and struggles, a 55-student Christian campus works differently. The choice is about fit, not about any school being bad.

Fewer than 15 students per grade, in multi-grade bands of K-1, 2-3, 4-5, and 6-8, each with a dedicated teacher — that is the school's own published promise.

Public directory listings (a third-party estimate) put enrollment near 55 students campus-wide with a 14:1 student-teacher ratio. By comparison, many local public and private campuses run 700-1,600 students. At JESMS, the principal says it plainly: every child is known.

Liberty Baptist Academy is a larger PK-12 Baptist school in the same Fort Pierce corridor; JESMS is a smaller K-8 Adventist campus on Memory Lane.

Both are solid Fort Pierce faith options with friendly teachers. JESMS is the smaller, more intimately scaled campus — fewer than 15 students per grade and a classroom for every handful of years — and it graduates students after 8th grade rather than offering a full K-12 pathway. Visit both and feel the difference in size and rhythm.

St. Anastasia is a century-old Catholic PK-8 school in Fort Pierce with large classes, waitlists, and a broad athletics-and-activities program; JESMS is a much smaller Adventist K-8 with a chapel-close, whole-child approach.

If your family is seeking Catholic parish identity or a full 10-team activities slate, St. Anastasia may be the better fit — and many Fort Pierce families choose it gladly. Families choose JESMS instead for the smallest culture in town: fewer than 15 students per grade, robotics, outdoor education, and a child who cannot disappear in the crowd.

St. Andrew's is an Episcopal PK-12 school with a river campus and continuity into high school; JESMS is a K-8 Adventist campus focused on the elementary and middle years, on Memory Lane in Fort Pierce.

St. Andrew's fits families who want one campus from preschool through graduation. JESMS fits families who want the Fort Pierce neighborhood school feel — small, diverse, Bible-centered, and done well through 8th grade, with the high school step planned in 8th grade.

Tuition is $7,900 per student for the 2026-2027 school year, kindergarten through 8th grade, per the school's published fee schedule.

That figure appears in both the constituent and the general/Step Up columns of the school's schedule. Before budgeting, ask the office to walk you through the current-year schedule — it is published as an image on the tuition page, and the Worthy Student Fund line and scholarship column details are best explained in person.

For 2026-27 the published extras are: $600 registration, $300 books, $150 uniform, $300 technology, $650 activities and supplies, and $100 testing — bringing the published yearly total to about $10,000 per student, plus a $75 graduation fee in kindergarten and 8th grade.

The school also notes a 5% monthly tuition discount for a second child and 5% for a third (published in the 2024-25 handbook — confirm it still applies). Tuition is due the 1st of each month, with a $30 late fee after the 1st per the current schedule.

Yes. The school's own page states: JESMS proudly accepts the Family Empowerment Scholarship provided by Step Up For Students (SUFS). That scholarship (with the Florida Tax Credit program, FTC) covers tuition and fees at eligible private schools.

JESMS is a participating private school, and its scholarship-links page points families to the application. Families apply directly and renew annually at stepupforstudents.org; the Florida Department of Education administers the program through scholarship funding organizations like Step Up For Students.

Likely yes. Award amounts are set by the state each year — for 2025-26, St. Lucie County awards were about $8,324 for grades K-3 and $7,744 for grades 4-8, and Step Up publishes an average of about $8,000 per student.

Against JESMS's $7,900 tuition, a 2025-26 award could cover most or all of the tuition line for many families. Scholarship availability is not income-capped for eligibility, lower-income families get priority, and the office will help you understand how the numbers play out for your situation.

Beyond the state scholarships, JESMS's 2026-27 financial information lists a Worthy Student Fund — an assistance line item the office can explain for your family.

The school also published a 5% monthly discount for second and third children in its 2024-25 handbook. Ask the office for the current hardship and multi-child policies; the treasurer is the right person to speak with.

James E. Sampson Memorial School serves kindergarten through 8th grade, with multi-grade classes (K-1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-8) and an 8th-grade graduation each spring.

Some public and conference directory listings describe a PreK program, while the school's own website emphasizes K-8. If PreK or VPK matters to you, confirm what is running this year with the office before applying.

In the most recently published handbook, school runs 8:00 am-3:00 pm Monday through Thursday and 8:00 am-1:00 pm Friday, when the campus dismisses early for the Adventist Sabbath.

The day blends Bible, reading, math, science, and writing — supported by smart boards, iPads and laptops for every student, and adaptive programs like Lexia Core5, DreamBox, Reading Plus, and Ascend Math — with chapel-style faith life, recess, and lunch. Confirm current-year hours with the office, as the published hours come from the 2024-25 handbook.

Yes — aftercare is offered, and the aftercare flyer is published under Important Information on the parents/students page.

The 2024-25 handbook listed late pick-up charges of $10 for the first half hour and $10 for each half hour after that. Current aftercare hours and rates are set by the office — call (772) 465-8386 for this year's flyer.

A lunch program is offered on campus.

The school does not publish a menu or a dietary policy in extractable form. If vegetarian options, allergies, or Adventist health practices matter to your family, confirm the current lunch details directly with the school office.

JESMS requires a school uniform; the uniform line on the 2026-27 fee schedule is $150 per student, yearly.

The full dress expectations are in the Student Handbook, which is published as a PDF on the website — ask the office for the current-year copy so your family shops once and gets it right.

JESMS uses MAP Growth and MAP Reading Fluency three times a year — fall, winter, and spring — with scheduled make-up windows, plus WRaP testing in February.

The 2026-27 calendar confirms testing windows in August, January, and April, and the conference-wide testing rhythm helps teachers adjust each child's plan. The school describes its curriculum as aligned with Adventist and national standards and its teachers as certified under Florida Department of Education standards.

JESMS is a small school — about 55 students with a Title I teacher on staff — not a district-size special-education program.

If your child has an IEP, 504 plan, or learning differences, talk directly with the principal before enrolling: JESMS supports students whose needs fit its setting, but it cannot promise the full ESE staffing of a large public school. In Fort Pierce, public magnet and district options may be the better fit for high-need services — and the school will tell you honestly what it can and cannot do.

Yes to robotics and outdoor education: students design, build, and compete with robots, and a multi-day outdoor education block is scheduled each February.

The activity calendar also includes Sports Day, Field Day, Science Fair, Festival of the Arts, a 5K, class trips, and Black History and Thanksgiving programs. JESMS does not field a slate of interscholastic sports teams like larger schools; its athletics are community-style events on a small campus. If varsity sports matter, a larger school will serve you better — if character, STEM, and the outdoors do, this is the place.

Bible is part of the curriculum, and the school year includes worship, a Fall Week of Prayer, Education Sabbath services at supporting churches, and prayer woven through school life.

Faith is not a single class at JESMS; it is the frame for everything — the school describes Adventist Education as nurturing mind, body, and spirit together. Student voices on the website put it simply: we learn about God here, and nobody bullies people here.

Yes — as an Adventist school, JESMS honors the biblical Sabbath: Friday ends early (1:00 pm dismissal in the most recently published handbook) as the Sabbath begins at sundown, and Education Sabbath services are held during the year.

The school does not run classes or events on the Sabbath. Non-Adventist families join this campus rhythm while they enroll — families who would be unable to honor an Adventist calendar should weigh that honestly before applying.

Families support the school's Christian conduct and campus practices, and the school teaches whole-person health as part of Adventist education — but no one is asked to join a church or adopt a lifestyle legally.

What the school's published materials do and do not say matters here: it offers a lunch program but does not publish its menu or dietary policy. If vegetarian meals or health-practice details matter to your family, confirm them with the office before enrolling.

Almost certainly not. JESMS describes Adventist Education as for families regardless of religious affiliation, and it enrolls Baptist, nondenominational, Catholic, and other Christian families alongside Adventists.

Public directory data describes a small, diverse Christian family — a campus where most students are African American, with Hispanic, multiracial, and White families too. Your child will find plenty of company in exploring faith from a different starting point.

Start on the applications page: jesmschool.com/applications/

New students in grades 3-8 are interviewed by at least two staff or board members before registration; a registration fee plus the first month's tuition is due before a student is enrolled. The office walks each family through records and placement questions, and the school's website links directly to the Step Up application — applying is the family's to do, and the state sets the deadlines.

Generally yes, when space allows and the student is emotionally ready to make the change.

Call the office at (772) 465-8386 to talk about your situation — grade-level space, records, and the interview step for grades 3-8 are all easier to sort out in a phone call.

JESMS is a K-8 school: there is no high school on campus, and 8th-grade graduation is the spring milestone for every student.

Families plan the 9-12 step during 8th grade, and Fort Pierce families commonly weigh John Carroll Catholic High School, Liberty Baptist Academy, St. Andrew's Episcopal Academy, public options like Lincoln Park Academy or Fort Pierce Central and Westwood, and district magnets. The office is glad to help you think through the transition, and financially, Florida's scholarship options continue through high school.

A tour is the best first step: call (772) 465-8386 or email jamesesampson@flcoe.org, and the office will arrange for you to see the nearly nine-acre Memory Lane campus, meet the principal, and observe classes.

Key public touchpoints each year include Orientation Night (August), Grandparents' Day (September), and Kindergarten Round-Up (April) — great low-pressure moments for prospective families to visit.

Yes — plenty of families enroll exploring their faith. What the school asks is that you support its Christ-centered mission and Christian behavior expectations while your child is enrolled.

The school's published policy welcomes students from other religions who show due reverence for the Word of God, keep a respectful attitude during religious classes and programs, and observe school regulations. That is the whole ask — respect for the school's faith, not a commitment to change yours.

Florida Conference Seventh-day Adventist schools admit students of any race, color, ethnicity, national origin, gender, and sexual orientation, and they do not discriminate in admission, discipline, or the application of education policies.

That published policy is on the school's website and applications page, and it matches the campus JESMS actually is: a small, diverse Christian family in the heart of Fort Pierce.

The school memorializes James E. Sampson, an 8-year-old boy who died after a tragic ball-field accident during a school outing — his family and friends turned the loss into a mission to protect children, which led to the purchase of nearly nine acres of land.

That land became the campus on Memory Lane. The school began at the Macedonia SDA Church on Delaware Avenue, moved to Memory Lane, and today describes itself as the oldest private school in St. Lucie County, carrying forward more than 80 years of Christian education on the Treasure Coast.

James E. Sampson Memorial School is the same campus listed in older directories as Fort Pierce SDA School or James E. Sampson Memorial Seventh-day Adventist School — the name changed as the school's story grew, but the campus and the mission did not.

The school goes by JESMS in daily life and sits at 3201 Memory Lane, Fort Pierce, FL 34981 — one school, one address, whatever the directory says.