Will Frazer, current coach of the nationally acclaimed Buchholz math team, is leaving Buchholz to serve as director of a new private school that will bear his name.  

The school is owned by James Schrader, who also owns Gainesville Christian Community School (GCCS). 

The new school, called The Frazer School, will accept students in grades 3-12. It will be focused on competitive academics, a format Frazer said deserves more focus. 

“I feel like it’s something pretty much nobody stresses, but I really think it’s a great way to go,” Frazer said in a phone interview. “America is very competitive, but we channel our competition in sports, for the most part. And I feel like we ought to be taking education a lot more seriously and channeling the competition that way.” 

Frazer’s vision of competition involves teamwork, where students learn to cooperate with each other and help with each other’s weak points. He said this kind of cooperation is necessary for life and helps make the American workforce more competitive in the global economy. 

Frazer also said he hopes for the new school to be able to collaborate with Alachua County Public Schools, especially in things like offering summer programs. High school students at The Frazer School will be required to spend at least two summers running summer camps for children in the community. 

Though he said the district has treated him well, Frazer said when Schrader approached him about a school for competitive academics, it was an opportunity to build his “dream school.” 

Frazer founded the Buchholz math team in 1998, and the team has now won 15 of the last 16 national championships.  

Frazer said most of the students on that team lean toward science and math, but The Frazer School will not focus on STEM alone. 

Every student at the school will be required to participate in at least one academic team, which could be anything from debate to foreign language to math. Frazer said competition classes, like the math classes he teaches now, are faster-paced and higher-level than traditional advanced placement (AP) or honors courses, but both types of options will be available for students who excel in different areas. 

“We’re going to push people to work hard and achieve and really create a culture of academic competition, a high level of expectations and entering a lot of competitions,” Frazer said. 

Schrader bought the building at 1520 NW 34 St. from CrossPoint Church of God, and will make some minor renovations over the summer. Cornerstone Academy, which currently meets in the building, will remain there through the end of the school year. The Frazer School plans to open in August.

Though The Frazer School will not be a Christian school and will be entirely separate from GCCS, Frazer said the new school would be able to share some resources and knowledge that Schrader already has at GCCS. This includes things like financial and tech staff and an existing structure for how to run a private school. 

Frazer said the school plans to charge about $2,000 over the Florida school choice voucher, keeping enrollment affordable. He said if even that cost becomes a barrier for families with qualified students, the school will find a way to make it work. 

There are three open houses currently planned for three age groups: 

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

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to identify the past owner of the property and the future plans for the Cornerstone Academy.