$8,200 is the 2026-27 tuition at Gateway Christian School for kindergarten through 8th grade, or $820 a month over ten payments from August through May. Full-day PreK is $4,100 a year with VPK or $7,600 without it, and half-day VPK is free because Florida VPK pays for those hours. Kindergarten through 8th grade registration is $550, prorated by quarter, and the application fee is $50 per student. Step Up For Students scholarships apply toward this cost. Our tuition page shows every fee, discount, and payment option.

Gateway's costs for 2026-27 are tuition plus published fees. Kindergarten through 8th grade registration is $550, prorated by quarter, and the application fee is $50 per student. Outdoor Education is $200 for 5th and 6th graders, and 8th grade graduation is $200. Pay in full by August 31 or in ten monthly payments, due by the last day of each month, and online card payments carry no convenience fee. For current details on what else tuition covers, and on uniform costs, call the Gateway office at (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org.

That is a fair question, and you are not the first parent to ask it. The Step Up For Students private school scholarship averages about $8,000, and Gateway's 2026-27 tuition for kindergarten through 8th grade is $8,200. Step Up For Students scholarships apply toward this cost. Award amounts vary by student, and Step Up For Students confirms each child's award. For a clear picture of what your family would owe, call the Gateway office at (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org. We would love to help your family plan ahead.

Yes. Florida's Step Up For Students private school scholarship is worth an average of about $8,000, and it is open to Florida students in kindergarten through 12th grade regardless of household income. Gateway Christian School accepts Step Up For Students scholarships, so a family can direct that award toward tuition here. The Step Up For Students private school scholarship page explains how the program works. To talk through your family's situation, call (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org.

Yes. Gateway accepts Step Up For Students scholarships and Florida VPK funding. Families apply directly through Step Up For Students and then direct their award to Gateway. New families apply through their Step Up For Students account, and returning families log in and renew each year. Our Scholarship Links page keeps the links in one place. For current details on any other scholarship program, call the Gateway office at (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org.

Step Up For Students runs its 2026-27 cycle on these dates: renewals February 1 to April 30, 2026, new private school scholarship applications February 1 to November 15, 2026, and new families accept or decline their award by December 15, 2026. Dates for 2027-28 had not been announced as of November 2026. The Step Up For Students 2026-27 deadlines page lists each window. Dates last checked November 2026.

Families apply directly through Step Up For Students. New families complete an application, and returning families renew each year by logging in to their Step Up For Students account. Once the award is approved, the family directs it to Gateway. The Step Up For Students private school scholarship page and our Scholarship Links page have the links you need. For current details on how the office helps with the process, call the Gateway office at (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org.

Tax questions depend on each family's situation, so a tax professional is the best person to ask. Gateway Christian School does not offer tax advice, and the answer can depend on how a payment is made. Our tuition page shows the current 2026-27 schedule for kindergarten through 8th grade and for PreK. If you have a tuition question, call the office at (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org.

Yes. Gateway offers 5% off when the month's tuition is paid by the 10th, and 5% off when the full year is paid by the deadline on the tuition page, both for self-pay families. Families earn a $100 account credit or a $100 Lake Uniforms gift card for each family they refer who is accepted. If your circumstances change, let the financial officer know in writing and the school works with your family on a revised financial agreement. For current details on need-based aid, call the Gateway office at (352) 383-9920.

It is natural to wonder about this. Step Up For Students releases scholarship funds in installments during the school year, and Gateway's registration fee is prorated by quarter to stay in step with how Step Up For Students pays. For current details on how balances are handled while scholarship funds are pending, call the Gateway office at (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org. We would love to help your family plan ahead.

Florida VPK pays for Gateway's half-day VPK program for four-year-olds, and the Step Up For Students private school scholarship is for students in kindergarten through 12th grade, so the two programs cover different years. Families often begin with VPK and then apply for Step Up For Students for kindergarten. For current details on how the move from PreK to kindergarten works at Gateway Christian School, call the office at (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org.

Many families ask this, and the answer is no. Gateway welcomes families from all Christian backgrounds and faith traditions. Every family is invited to learn what Adventist education can mean for their child, regardless of religious affiliation. Families are asked to support the school's Christ-centered mission and respect its practices, such as the Sabbath as a day of rest. Gateway Christian School values the partnership between home, school, and church and sees parents as a child's first teachers. To talk it through, call (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org.

An Adventist school is a Christian school connected to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Gateway Christian School is a ministry of the Mount Dora SDA Church and part of the Florida Conference Office of Education network of Seventh-day Adventist schools across Florida. Adventist education nurtures mind, body, and spirit, combining academic excellence with faith-based values to inspire a lifetime of purpose and service. Students here also design, build, and compete through Adventist Robotics and take an Outdoor Education trip in 5th and 6th grade. Call (352) 383-9920 to plan a visit.

No. Gateway's classes meet Monday through Friday, so your child is not in school on Saturday. Families are asked to support the school's Christ-centered mission and respect its practices, including the Sabbath as a day of rest. Students wear a school uniform. For current details on food guidance and dress code details, call the Gateway office at (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org. We would love to help your family plan ahead.

It is natural to wonder how faith and science fit together. Gateway's promise is that your child will be loved, safe, taught how to think, and will know Jesus. Teachers hold certifications and degrees and continue their professional development, so students learn to ask careful questions and think for themselves. Gateway Christian School treats science as part of a whole education of mind, body, and spirit. For current details on science by grade level, call the office at (352) 383-9920 or plan a visit and ask to see a class.

The love of the Lord and His example of putting others first drive Gateway's mission, so faith is woven through the school day. Students have Bible class every day in their classrooms, and the whole school gathers for chapel on Fridays at 8:15 a.m. Students learn about Jesus and how He showed us to treat one another. Gateway welcomes families from all Christian backgrounds and faith traditions. To see a chapel gathering for yourself, call (352) 383-9920 to book a tour.

That is one of the most important questions a parent can ask. Gateway welcomes families from all Christian backgrounds and faith traditions, and each student is known, valued, and made to feel part of the Gateway family. Our small, family-like community is one of the four reasons families choose Gateway Christian School. Families are asked to support the school's Christ-centered mission and respect its practices, such as the Sabbath as a day of rest. For current details on what the first weeks look like, call (352) 383-9920.

That is a decision only your family can make, and Gateway makes it easy to see for yourself. For 2026-27, tuition for kindergarten through 8th grade is $8,200, and Gateway accepts Step Up For Students scholarships. Families choose Gateway Christian School for Christian values, a community where every child is known, qualified teachers, and mixed-grade classrooms. The best next step is a tour, and you can book one by calling our office at (352) 383-9920.

A small Christian school can be a wonderful fit for a child who learns best when adults know them well. Gateway is a small, family-like community where children are known by name and receive one-on-one attention from teachers. Students also gain social and academic benefits from mixed-grade classrooms, and Christian values shape how everyone treats one another. Gateway Christian School serves PreK through 8th grade in Mount Dora. The clearest way to answer this for your child is to visit; call (352) 383-9920.

Look for a community where your child will be known, teachers who keep growing, clear communication with parents, and a mission your family shares. Gateway Christian School offers all four. Children are known by name in a small, family-like community. Teachers build on certifications and degrees with continuing professional development. Parents and students use online tools including FACTS and Canvas, and Christian values sit at the center of the mission. Bring our questions to ask on your visit when you tour, and call (352) 383-9920 to set a time.

Gateway Christian School is part of the Florida Conference Office of Education network of Seventh-day Adventist schools across Florida. For current details on accreditation, call the Gateway office at (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org. We are glad to answer that question directly and to share what your family needs for its decision. A visit is also a good time to ask; call to plan one.

Bring these questions to your Gateway visit:

• How many students are in my child's class, and how do mixed-grade classrooms work?
• How long have the teachers been at Gateway, and how do they keep growing?
• How do you keep children safe, and how do you handle bullying?
• What does a typical day look like, including Bible class and worship?
• What would my family pay after a Step Up For Students scholarship?
• What are the school-day hours, and is after-school care available?
• How will I hear about my child's progress?
• Do the children seem happy, and does it feel like a family?

To book a tour of our Mount Dora campus, call our office at (352) 383-9920.

Yes. Gateway's teachers hold certifications and degrees, and they build on that foundation with continuing professional development. Teachers also know each child by name, which is one of the everyday strengths of a small school. For current details on how long teachers have been at Gateway, ask on your visit; our tour questions include it. Gateway Christian School would be glad to talk with you about the faculty; call (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org.

Gateway is a small, family-like community, and children are known by name and receive one-on-one attention from teachers. That personal attention is one of the reasons families choose Gateway Christian School. Students also learn alongside more than one grade, which brings social and academic benefits. For current details on class sizes, student counts, and student-teacher ratios, call the Gateway office at (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org. We would love to help your family plan ahead.

Parents and students use online tools including FACTS and Canvas, so schoolwork and progress are easy to follow together. Teachers know each child by name, which means a question about your child reaches someone who knows them. Gateway Christian School values the partnership between home, school, and church. For current details on tests, report cards, and conferences, call the office at (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org, and ask on your visit.

Students in a multi-grade classroom learn alongside more than one grade level, and they gain social and academic benefits from it. Each student is known, valued, and made to feel part of the Gateway family, and teachers build on certifications and degrees with continuing professional development, so the work stays challenging. Gateway Christian School would be glad to show you a classroom in action. For current details on how grade groupings work, call (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org.

Gateway aims to prepare students for academic success and for a life of purpose, service, and faithfulness to Christ, and 8th graders celebrate graduation together. That preparation runs through the whole PreK through 8th grade experience, in a small community where each student is known. Gateway Christian School would love to talk with you about the middle grades. For current details on where graduates go next, call the office at (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org.

That is one of the most important questions a parent can ask. Putting others first drives Gateway's mission, and students learn how Jesus showed us to treat one another. When a parent reports bullying, an incident report is completed and the principal personally investigates. Every child is known by name in our small, family-like community, and teachers give one-on-one attention. For current details on discipline beyond that process, call the Gateway office at (352) 383-9920.

Every parent worries about this at some point. Gateway keeps the entire building locked, and every visitor is buzzed in and signed in at the front office. Classroom doors stay locked and open only with a 4-digit PIN, students are always supervised at drop-off, pick-up, and recess, and a sensor in the parking lot alerts the office whenever someone pulls in. To see the campus for yourself, call (352) 383-9920 to book a tour.

Every parent worries about this at some point. Each student at Gateway is known, valued, and made to feel part of the Gateway family, which matters when a child is having a hard week. Teachers give one-on-one attention, and Gateway values the partnership between home, school, and church, seeing parents as a child's first teachers. Gateway Christian School wants school to be a safe place to bring a worry. For current details on wellbeing support, call (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org.

Gateway Christian School keeps its own school calendar, and classes meet Monday through Friday. For current information about weather closures and how families are notified, call the Gateway office at (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org. Our office can tell you what is happening today and what to expect next. We would love to help your family plan ahead.

That is a fair question, and you are not the first parent to ask it. Gateway's application invites families to share recent standardized test scores and an IEP if their child has one, so the admissions committee can review the whole picture. Each student is known and valued, and teachers give one-on-one attention in a small, family-like community. Gateway Christian School would be glad to talk with you about your child. For current details on learning support, call (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org.

Gateway accepts Step Up For Students scholarships, and Unique Abilities is one of the Step Up For Students programs in the same application cycle. For 2026-27, Step Up For Students accepted new Unique Abilities applications from February 1 to November 15, 2026. The Step Up For Students 2026-27 deadlines page lists each window. Dates last checked November 2026. For current details on the Unique Abilities scholarship at Gateway Christian School, call the office at (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org.

Yes. Gateway's half-day VPK program runs Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 11:30 a.m. and is paid by Florida VPK, so families pay no tuition, no registration fee, and no application fee for those hours. For 2026-27, full-day PreK is $4,100 a year with VPK, or $410 a month, and $7,600 without VPK, or $760 a month. Gateway Christian School would be glad to walk through the options with you. For current details on how full-day PreK pricing works, call (352) 383-9920.

Florida VPK is for four-year-olds. A child must live in Florida and turn 4 on or before September 1, and children who turn 4 between February 2 and September 1 may wait and start VPK the following year. The Florida VPK for parents page explains the state rule. For current details on Gateway's own birthday cutoffs and potty-training expectations, call the Gateway Christian School office at (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org.

Families get the VPK Certificate of Eligibility through the Family Portal of the Early Learning Coalition of Lake County. Online registration for 2026-27 VPK opened January 1, 2026. Gateway requires the certificate to enroll in VPK. The Early Learning Coalition of Lake County page explains the service. For current details on how the Gateway Christian School office helps, call (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org. Last checked November 2026.

VPK runs from 8:00 to 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. Wraparound care runs from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Friday. Florida's school-year VPK program provides 540 instructional hours. Gateway Christian School pairs those hours with a small, family-like community for four-year-olds. For current details on wraparound pricing and availability, call (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org.

Not exactly. VPK is Florida's free prekindergarten program for four-year-olds, and PreK is the school program that surrounds it. At Gateway, families choose half-day VPK only, or full-day PreK with or without VPK. Gateway Christian School serves four-year-olds in both options, and kindergarten begins at age five. For current details on which option fits your family, call (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org.

Gateway Christian School is at 18440 US Highway 441, Mount Dora, FL 32757, in Lake County. Families come to Gateway from Mount Dora and nearby Lake County communities including Eustis, Tavares, Sorrento, and Umatilla. The school serves PreK through 8th grade. Get directions to the campus, or call (352) 383-9920 to ask about the drive from your neighborhood.

Families describe Gateway as a small, family-like community where children are known by name, feel safe, and receive one-on-one attention from teachers. That is the picture parents share most often. You can read what Gateway families share on our homepage, and the clearest test is a visit of your own. Call (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org to plan one.

Applying takes three steps. (1) Complete the online application and pay the $50 application fee, which half-day VPK does not require. (2) The admissions committee reviews the completed application. (3) Accepted families receive an acceptance letter by email with registration instructions. Registration is prorated by quarter based on the quarters a student attends. Apply online when you are ready. For current details on openings, waitlists, and mid-year starts, call the Gateway Christian School office at (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org, especially if your family is moving to Mount Dora or anywhere in Lake County.

Gateway's school day runs from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and VPK runs from 8:00 to 11:30 a.m. Aftercare picks up from there and runs until 5:30 p.m. Gateway Christian School knows that school hours shape a family's whole week, so think through your own morning and afternoon before you decide. To talk it through, call our office at (352) 383-9920 and book a tour.

Yes, aftercare runs from 3:15 to 5:30 p.m. at $9.00 an hour. That covers the gap for families whose workday runs past dismissal. For current information about before-school care, call the Gateway Christian School office at (352) 383-9920. We would love to help your family plan ahead.

Gateway's campus is at 18440 US Highway 441 in Mount Dora, in Lake County. For current information about transportation to Gateway Christian School, call the office at (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org. We would love to help your family plan ahead.

Yes. Gateway students wear a school uniform. For current details on the dress code, cost, and where to buy, call the Gateway Christian School office at (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org. We would love to help your family plan ahead.

Gateway students design, build, and compete through Adventist Robotics, developing STEM skills and teamwork in a Christ-centered environment. All 5th and 6th graders also take an Outdoor Education trip to Camp Kulaqua, where hands-on learning in nature builds teamwork and spiritual growth. Gateway Christian School serves PreK through 8th grade, and 8th graders celebrate graduation. For current details on sports and clubs, call (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org.

Adventist education nurtures mind, body, and spirit, and that whole-child view reaches the lunch table too. Gateway Christian School serves PreK through 8th grade in Mount Dora. For current information about lunch at Gateway, call the office at (352) 383-9920 or email GCSInMtDora@flcoe.org. We would love to help your family plan ahead.