A new private school opened its doors in Nocatee Town Center on Tuesday, Aug. 25, giving Ponte Vedra families another option beyond the public school system.

Acton Academy Ponte Vedra launched its permanent campus at 680 Crosswater Parkway, offering a self-directed learning model for children ages 5 to 13. Annual tuition is $14,494, with a $1,000 non-refundable deposit applied toward dues.

Founder Matthew Ahrnsbrak built the school as part of a global network of more than 300 Acton Academies. The Ponte Vedra location was previously incubated at The Link, a collaborative workspace in Nocatee Town Center, before moving to its own space, according to a Ponte Vedra Recorder report on The Link's success stories.

There are no traditional grade levels. The school groups students by age range into two studios: a Discovery Studio for ages 5 to 10 and an Adventure Studio for ages 10 to 13. The model uses Socratic discussion, hands-on projects and self-paced work. Students are called "heroes" and teachers are called "guides."

The school's website states the program year runs from early August through the end of May. Acton Academy Ponte Vedra accepts three Florida scholarship programs: the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options and the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities.

The school is accredited by the International Association of Learner Driven Schools. Its advisors include Jeff Sandefer and Laura Sandefer, co-founders of the original Acton Academy in Austin, Texas.

The opening adds to a growing private education market in the Nocatee corridor. Kingsminster Ponte Vedra, a separate independent Christian school planned at 895 Palm Valley Road behind St. Francis-in-the-Field church, is set to open in August 2027 with projected tuition averaging $19,000 annually, according to the Ponte Vedra Recorder. Jack Hall, founding executive director of Kingsminster, said at the school's June 9 brand reveal that what excited him most was "the opportunity to help build a school where children are truly known, where teacher excellence and meaningful mentorship matter."

The public system continues to grow alongside these private options. St. Johns County School District enrolled 48,093 students on the first day of the 2026-2027 school year on Aug. 10, an increase of 441 over the prior year's opening-day count of 47,652.