Buchholz math teacher Will Frazer to open The Frazer School to focus on competitive academics

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Will Frazer, the Buchholz teacher who has led the school’s math team to 15 national championships, has teamed up with James Schrader, the owner of Newberry Christian Community School, to open “The Frazer School,” a new private school for grades 3-12 that will focus on competitive academics.

The school will be located at 1520 NW 34th Street, which formerly housed the Cross Point Church of God and Cornerstone Academy, along with a preschool.

Open houses will be held at that address on the following dates:

• April 26, 7:00 p.m., grades 3-5
• April 27, 7:00 p.m., grades 6-8
• April 28, 7:00 p.m., grades 9-12

School calendar and hours

Frazer told us that the school hours will probably be 7:50 a.m.-2:34 p.m., but that may be adjusted. The school calendar will not follow the public school calendar but will match up with the University of Florida’s spring break. Frazer said the school will meet more than 180 days a year and will start on either August 5 or August 12, with May 22 as the last day of school for the 2024-25 school year. The school will also finish the first semester before the winter break so that students will not need to come back and take finals in January.

Applications and tuition

Applications are available here , and paper applications must be submitted this year by May 18. Acceptances will be rolling, with responses expected quickly for students who are currently on competitive teams. Admissions will be based completely on merit, according to Frazer, with different criteria for younger students than for older students who have more of an academic and competitive record.

Tuition will be $2,000/year plus a state scholarship, and some financial aid will be available.

Expectations of students

Frazer said that all students will be expected to be on competitive academic teams starting in 6th grade, although younger students and new students will have time to find their niche; students can be on as many teams as they want. Frazer emphasized that his school will not be a “STEM school”; the competitive teams are expected to include, as examples, the History Bowl, Quiz Bowl, Spelling Bee, and a debate team, along with math and science competitions.

Frazer said he expects to have about 525 students eventually, with about 120 in the elementary grades and about 400 in 6-12.

Extracurriculars

Regarding extracurriculars, Frazer said he doesn’t expect to have music or art classes, for example, but chess will be available. Frazer believes that students at the Frazer School will be able to participate in sports programs at any public school; Florida statutes say that students in private schools may participate if their school is not a member of the FHSAA and has an enrollment of 200 students or fewer in the corresponding grade levels.

The school intends to offer a summer camp to the community to provide opportunities for students to learn about competitive academics, although the camp will likely not start until the summer of 2025.

Faculty

Frazer said the school has hired 7 of 22 anticipated faculty members; job openings are posted here . The website also lists faculty members who have committed to the school:

• Administration – Schrader, Frazer, and Mr. Fayiga
• Math – Frazer, Ziwei Lu, and Fayiga
• Science – Marc Moody and Kim Baxter
• Social Studies – Frazer and David Geering
• Elementary and Chess – Britt Ryerson

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