TL;DR: Belle Glade and Pahokee have four private schools with 503 reported students, and all four are marked as taking the FTC/FES-EO and FES-UA scholarships. Both towns are in Palm Beach County, so the $8,890 K-3 award applies, not the higher Glades County figure.
Which private schools serve Belle Glade and Pahokee?
Four private schools in the state's 2026 directory sit in the Glades area of western Palm Beach County: two in Belle Glade and two in Pahokee. All four list grades through 12, and together they report 503 students.
| School | City | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glades Day School | Belle Glade | PK-12 | 335 |
| The Shepherd's School | Pahokee | PK-12 | 81 |
| GAP Christian Academy | Pahokee | K-12 | 65 |
| Belle Glade Christian Academy | Belle Glade | PK-12 | 22 |
Glades Day School is by far the largest and describes itself as incorporated in 1965. Belle Glade Christian Academy and The Shepherd's School are listed as Pentecostal, which is useful to know before touring.
Which scholarship amount applies to families in the Glades?
Families in Belle Glade and Pahokee use the Palm Beach County award, which is $8,890 for kindergarten through grade 3, $8,288 for grades 4 through 8 and $8,091 for grades 9 through 12. The scholarship amount follows the county where the student lives, and both towns are in Palm Beach County.
The name causes confusion. Glades County is a different, separate county with a higher K-3 figure of $9,559, and a Pahokee family does not borrow that number. A family weighing a move should read our county award table before assuming a bigger check.
Students with a qualifying disability may use the Unique Abilities scholarship (FES-UA) instead, and the Palm Beach figure for that is $11,054 in K-3.
Do the Glades private schools accept the state scholarships?
All four Glades-area schools are marked in the state directory as participating in both the Florida Tax Credit/Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FTC/FES-EO) and the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA). The flag shows participation, so a family should still confirm that the school has space in its child's grade.
Small schools can fill a grade with a handful of students. With only 22 reported students at Belle Glade Christian Academy, a single new family can change a classroom noticeably, and the same is true of many grade levels at GAP Christian Academy.
Ask each office for its enrollment steps and the date it needs scholarship paperwork, since small schools often set their own timelines.
How does the Glades private school picture differ from the rest of the county?
The Glades area holds a small slice of the county's private school supply, and its schools are small and church-connected rather than large and varied. The contrast shows up quickly in the numbers.
| Measure | Glades area | Palm Beach County |
|---|---|---|
| Private schools in the directory | 4 | 171 |
| Reported students | 503 | 31,447 |
| Share of reported students | about 1.6% | 100% |
| Marked FTC and UA participants | 4 of 4 | varies by school |
The Glades area is not short of schools that take scholarships. It is short of choice among them, so a family there often compares two or three options and not twenty. For a broader menu, the Glades community page lists the local schools next to nearby alternatives.
What should a Glades family plan for besides tuition?
A Glades family should plan for transportation, since the scholarship pays toward tuition and fees and not the daily trip to school. Whether a school runs a bus or van is a question for each office, and we have not verified transport for any of these four.
Two other items belong on the list. Ask whether the school's fees, uniforms and books are included in the quoted tuition, and ask whether before- and after-care exists for working parents. The transportation, meals and child care page explains which of these costs education accounts may cover and which they do not.
Finally, bring both the award letter and the school's fee sheet to the same conversation, so the real remaining balance is on paper before the first day.
Frequently asked questions
Which private schools serve Belle Glade and Pahokee?
Four private schools in the state's 2026 directory sit in the Glades area of western Palm Beach County: two in Belle Glade and two in Pahokee. All four list grades through 12, and together they report 503 students.
Which scholarship amount applies to families in the Glades?
Families in Belle Glade and Pahokee use the Palm Beach County award, which is $8,890 for kindergarten through grade 3, $8,288 for grades 4 through 8 and $8,091 for grades 9 through 12. The scholarship amount follows the county where the student lives, and both towns are in Palm Beach County.
Do the Glades private schools accept the state scholarships?
All four Glades-area schools are marked in the state directory as participating in both the Florida Tax Credit/Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FTC/FES-EO) and the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA). The flag shows participation, so a family should still confirm that the school has space in its child's grade.
How does the Glades private school picture differ from the rest of the county?
The Glades area holds a small slice of the county's private school supply, and its schools are small and church-connected rather than large and varied. The contrast shows up quickly in the numbers.
What should a Glades family plan for besides tuition?
A Glades family should plan for transportation, since the scholarship pays toward tuition and fees and not the daily trip to school. Whether a school runs a bus or van is a question for each office, and we have not verified transport for any of these four.
Related questions
- Which Glades-area schools are listed?
- Which award applies in my county?
- How does the Unique Abilities scholarship work?
- Can I check my own family's numbers?
Sources
See what your family qualifies for →
