Mission, Vision, and More
Our Vision
Our VisionBerkeley puts people in the world who make a positive difference.
Our Motto
Disciplina, Diligentia, Integritas (Discipline, Diligence, Integrity)
Our Mission
To establish and maintain a school dedicated to providing the best possible environment within which to nurture the intellectual, emotional, spiritual and physical development of each student; to aid students attending the school to achieve academic excellence in preparation for higher education, and to instill in them a strong sense of morality, ethics and social responsibility so that they may eventually attain their highest potential as human beings; to offer a challenging and demanding curriculum, which will stress the importance of religious values and will provide comprehensive programs in the sciences, arts and athletics; and to promote the moral and spiritual values of the Christian tradition as professed by the Episcopal Church.
Accreditation and Memberships
Berkeley is accredited through the Florida Council of Independent Schools and the Southern Association of Independent Schools. Memberships include the National Association of Independent Schools, the National Association of Episcopal Schools, the Association of Independent School Admission Professionals, the National Association of College Admissions Counselors, the National Business Officers Association, the Enrollment Management Association, the Mid-South Independent School Business Officers, and the Florida High School Athletic Association. Berkeley has also been recognized as an Apple Distinguished School.
BERKELEY’S CORE VALUES
DISCIPLINE
DILIGENCE
INTEGRITY
CORE CULTURAL NORMS
PASSION
COMMITMENT
OPTIMISM
POSITIVE ENERGY
KINDNESS
RESPECT
A DESIRE FOR EXCELLENCE
MASCOT
BUCCANEER
Our History
Berkeley was established in 1960 by Tampa Bay families who wished to begin an independent, coed day school as an alternative to the boarding experience. They were convinced that an independent day school could best combine the elements considered essential to a complete education: an academic institution consisting of fine facilities, superior faculty, sound program, capable and motivated students, and supportive families.
Edgar T. McCleary, founding Headmaster of Berkeley (1960-1978), came to Tampa from Asheville School in North Carolina and modeled Berkeley on the concept of a New England boarding school. Classes began in 1961 at St. Andrew’s Parish House with 140 students in seventh through twelfth grade. Shortly thereafter, Berkeley moved to a site on Davis Islands, where it remained until 1979. The Lower Division was established in 1967 and was housed at St. Andrew’s Parish House. In 1979, a new campus was built on Kelly Road for the Middle and Upper Division. By 1983, the Lower Division facilities were added, uniting the school on one campus in 1984.
