A Message from the President and Board of Trustees Chair
June 2, 2026
"Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it." - Marian Wright Edelman
Dear Pine Crest School Community,
We are writing to announce a significant milestone in Pine Crest School's history.
Since 2023, our senior administrative team, with oversight from the Board of Trustees, has been carefully analyzing the Palm Beach County education market to evaluate the feasibility of opening a Pine Crest campus in West Palm Beach. During this time, we have been building strategic relationships and identifying opportunities aligned with our mission and values. We agreed that if the right opportunity presented itself, one that would benefit Pine Crest as a whole, we would pursue it.
Following extensive exploration, Pine Crest plans to open our third campus in West Palm Beach. A landmark philanthropic commitment to our school from the Stephen M. Ross Foundation has helped accelerate and strengthen this vision, enabling us to advance this opportunity in alignment with our long-term strategic priorities. This expansion is an intentional evolution that will broaden our School's impact, deepen our resources and help secure our future while staying true to the values that have guided us for generations. Our decision is further motivated by West Palm Beach’s significant growth, which has attracted major corporations, financial services firms, Vanderbilt University, and, in turn, families seeking the highest-quality education. Pine Crest is uniquely positioned to contribute to this vibrant community by welcoming these families and forging new relationships with leading local businesses.
This generous gift will also strengthen our Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale campuses through continued investment in academic programs, innovative learning environments, faculty recruitment and retention, and the financial sustainability of the School. It will create expanded opportunities for students across all Divisions through enhanced spaces for research, technology, entrepreneurship, engineering, artificial intelligence and experiential learning.
Thoughtful curricular growth will further enrich the student experience, with each campus both contributing to and drawing from the shared strength, resources and vision of a truly connected institution. We have an opportunity to build something extraordinary: a school that leads the nation in educational excellence while preserving the close-knit, traditional culture that makes Pine Crest exceptional.
Details related to location, grade levels, admissions, staffing and opening timelines are actively being finalized and will be shared in the months ahead. For ongoing updates, please continue to visit pinecrest.edu/growingtogether.
We are grateful for your continued trust and partnership as we write this next chapter together. The opportunities ahead are extraordinary, and we are excited to engage our community in bringing this vision to life for generations of students to come.
Sincerely,
Dr. Dana Markham ’18H
President, Pine Crest School
Todd Rosenberg ’95
Chair, Pine Crest Board of Trustees
Why West Palm Beach?
The West Palm Beach region of Palm Beach County is experiencing significant population and economic growth, transforming it into one of the most dynamic education-focused markets in the southeast. This rapid market expansion—driven by shifting demographics, a surge in corporate relocations and the arrival of major institutions such as Vanderbilt University and Cleveland Clinic—creates a rare opportunity to broaden Pine Crest’s educational footprint.
Growth has generated demand for exceptional K-12 and higher education options for families. Excellent K-12 education is especially vital to a community's social infrastructure, and an ideal range of options includes a diverse mix of public and private schools. We believe the market presents a clear and compelling path for Pine Crest’s long-term sustainability and impact.
How can I support Pine Crest's expansion to West Palm Beach?
As an independent, non-profit school, Pine Crest relies on philanthropy to implement strategic academic programs, upgrade buildings and grounds, and provide financial assistance to families of enrolled students. For example, in the 2025-26 school year, Pine Crest awarded more than $10.6 million to families with demonstrated need.
Made possible through a landmark gift from the Stephen M. Ross Foundation, this next chapter will be further strengthened by philanthropic investment from alumni, parents, grandparents and friends who share our vision for the future. Pine Crest’s expansion into West Palm Beach will help ensure that new programs, spaces and opportunities reflect the same standard of excellence our community expects.
If you are interested in learning more about how to get involved, our Philanthropic Engagement team would welcome the opportunity to connect. Please contact Kara Donvito (1995), Vice President of Philanthropic Engagement at 954-776-2177 or [email protected].
What grades will be offered at the new campus?
Details related to location, grade levels, admissions, staffing and opening timelines are actively being finalized and will be shared in the months ahead.
When will the campus open?
Details related to location, grade levels, admissions, staffing and opening timelines are actively being finalized and will be shared in the months ahead.
How will this impact the Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale campuses?
The generous gift from the Stephen M. Ross Foundation is an investment in Pine Crest, benefiting students and faculty across all campuses. The expansion to West Palm Beach strengthens the School’s long-term future by broadening its reach, growing its philanthropic community and creating new opportunities for collaboration and innovation.
With three campuses and an expanded network of supporters, Pine Crest will be better positioned to invest in faculty recruitment and retention, academic and extracurricular programming, financial assistance and the exceptional student experiences that define Pine Crest School.
Where will the campus be located?
Details related to location, grade levels, admissions, staffing and opening timelines are actively being finalized and will be shared in the months ahead.
When will applications open?
Details related to location, grade levels, admissions, staffing and opening timelines are actively being finalized and will be shared in the months ahead.
Can you tell me more about Pine Crest School?
Founded in 1934 in South Florida, Pine Crest School has grown from a small tutoring cohort into a thriving two-campus nonprofit independent day school. Today, our Fort Lauderdale campus serves 1,829 students in grades pre-kindergarten through grade twelve, while our Boca Raton campus serves 878 students in grades pre-kindergarten through eight.
With an ever-evolving global landscape as their backdrop, Pine Crest students are prepared with a strong academic foundation complemented by design thinking experiences and entrepreneurial perspectives to distinguish them as the sought-after leaders of tomorrow.
We believe in the power of intellectual curiosity and in creating learning environments where various cultures, perspectives and experiences foster a deep understanding of our world's interconnectedness. Through learning rooted in collaboration, identification of problems and solutions, and meaningful action on important issues, we inspire our students to make a positive impact in all that they do.
To learn more about the origins of Pine Crest School's Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton campuses, we invite you to watch a student-created and produced documentary, "The Legacy of Pine Crest," by PCTV's Asher Dobin '27 and Maria Tobon '27, with assistance from Connor Albanese '27 and Gabriella Galkin '27.