| Gifft Hill School serves a vital role in the
community as the island’s
only preschool-12th grade school. With a history spanning three decades,
our traditions have grown with the island community, and our commitment
to each student and our standards of excellence have remained constant.
In 1978, Pine Peace School was founded as a preschool serving a handful of students. The school grew quickly, adding both students and grades. After moving four times in as many years, Pine Peace settled onto donated land on Gifft Hill where the elementary campus remains today. Through the 1980s and 1990s the school expanded to 6th grade, gained accreditation and greatly enlarged its campus facilities. In 2000, meanwhile, Coral Bay School formed, serving 13 students in grades 7-9. Over the next four years, the school grew to 85 students in grades 7-12, gained accreditation, and graduated the first senior class in St. John history—achieving 100% college acceptance. Next, in 2004, land was purchased on Gifft Hill, nearly adjacent to the elementary school, and the stage was set for the union of two educational success stories. Thus it was that later in 2004 Pine Peace School and Coral Bay School merged, and Gifft Hill School was born. Island families now receive the benefits of a seamless curriculum, stressing active student learning, community involvement and high standards in both character and academic development. As an independent school, Gifft Hill School has strived to keep tuition low and its scholarship offerings high to break down financial barriers to educational opportunity—a commitment that continues today and is reflected in the wonderful diversity of our student body. Over fifty-five percent of Gifft Hill’s students receive
financial aid—well more than double the national average
for a private school—and auction proceeds represent the
most significant annual contribution to the scholarship fund.
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