Skip to main content

History

Explore more than four decades of history

At The Cornerstone School, we pride ourselves on our long-standing tradition of providing educational excellence to our students. Our commitment to academic rigor and the pursuit of knowledge has been at the forefront of our institution since its inception. Journey with us through time as we explore the rich history of our school and the impact it has had on the community.

1980s

  • 1981 - First Marion County Chili Cook-Off held to raise funds for the school.
  • 1982 - Founding of The Cornerstone School. Preschool opens inside Temple Beth Shalom.
  • 1982 - Ellie Donovan named Director.
  • 1984 - Current property on Lake Weir Avenue is purchased, and additional grades are added to support the demand.
  • 1987 - Cornerstone is accredited by the Florida Council of Independent Schools.
  • 1988 - First Fifth Grade class graduates.
1980s

1990s

  • 1994 - Carol Montag named the new Director.
  • 1994 - Middle School classes begin.
  • 1995 - First Capital Campaign.
  • 1997 - Ingrid Wasserfall named the new Head of School.
  • 1997 - With the help of the local fire department, two cottages serving as classrooms are burned to make room for the new Administrative and Preschool classrooms.
  • 1998 - First 8th Grade class graduates.
1990s

2000s

  • 2000 - Second capital campaign for a multiroom facility, originally planned for Middle School classrooms.
  • 2005 - First Cornerstone summer camp.
  • 2008 - Introduction of the Tribes program to purposefully integrate our internal community.  Tribes teaches leadership skills and encourages inclusion and community.
  • 2009 - Love & Logic, designed by Jim & Charles Fay, was introduced in 2009 as a formalized structure to the school’s discipline policy and is based on mutual respect for yourself, others, and the environment.
2000s

2010s

  • 2012 - Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is introduced and focused on integrating application and problem-solving approaches in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.
  • 2013 - The cottage, known as the “Love Shack,” was demolished to make room for the new middle school and technology building.
  • 2014 - Middle School building opens.
  • 2018 - Cornerstone is named an International STEM School of Excellence by the International STEM Education Association.
  • 2019 - A third capital campaign to construct new Art and Early Childhood facilities.
  • 2019 - Cornerstone becomes a Cambridge International School and Cambridge Primary School, adapting the Cambridge Assessment International Education program.
2010s

2020s

  • 2020 - Building D, housing Art, Early Childhood, and Lower Elementary classrooms opens.
  • 2022 - The Cornerstone School celebrates its 40th Anniversary.
  • 2022 - Campus beautification project, including community circle spaces, artificial turf, pathways, and bridges, is completed.
2020s