The Pinellas County Jewish Day School was established in 1980 with 26 students in
kindergarten through second grade. Today the Day School offers an expanding program for students in transitional kindergarten through grade eight.

PCJDS encourages academic excellence in both general and Jewish studies and helps prepare students to achieve their highest potential as inquisitive learners, knowledgeable and committed Jews, informed and responsible American citizens, and ethical and caring human beings. The Jewish studies curriculum is based on traditional Jewish values using concrete projects as well as abstract thought. Torah is made relevant and accessible to students, who learn basic Judaism, Jewish
history, ethics, life cycle events and Hebrew language through grade level appropriate studies.

The faculty is comprised of 24 full and part-time teachers and includes
coordinators for science, math, Hebrew, Jewish Studies and middle school departments. The school also employs specialists in computer, physical education,
art, drama and music and boasts an artist-in-residence. All teachers are state certified and participate in ongoing professional development. The low teacher-to-student ratio allows students to receive one-on-one attention, praise and guidance.

The education offered at PCJDS includes opportunities for students to excel in extra curricular activities, such as winning girls' and boys' basketball teams, co-ed soccer teams, and a volleyball team. The students have earned honors in state and local championships in speech and problems solving competitions.PCJDS is comprised of a unique cross-section of families from the Pinellas County area. Students travel
from Tierra Verde in the south and Port Richey and Tarpon Springs in the north.
The school's goals, policies and practices stem from the Conservative movement.
However, the Day School wel- mes the enrollment of families from all Jewish backgrounds and, recognizing the value of pluralism, teaches respect for all Judaic views and practices. Egalitarianism is practiced in all aspects of school religious observances such as reading Torah or leading services.

The Day School's first classes were held on the campus of Congregation B'nai Israel in St. Petersburg. Crowded classrooms and cramped conditions prompted the school to expand. In 1991, it opened a satellite campus at the Golda Meir/Kent Jewish Center. The Kent campus quickly grew to include kindergarten through third grade. In 1995 the school purchased its own campus, with students from the north county location and the south county campus coming together at the present site in mid-
Clearwater.

PCJDS is a member of the Solomon Schechter Day School Association and is accredited by the Florida Council of Independent Schools, is an active member of the Bay Area Association of Independent Schools, and is qualified for the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme. The Pinellas County Jewish Day School is a beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation of Pinellas County.