Private School Options Near MetroWest: Holy Family and The First Academy
Two very different private schools within an easy drive — one Catholic and PK-8, one Baptist and K-12. Here's how MetroWest families decide.
Holy Family Catholic School (5129 S. Apopka-Vineland Road, Orlando, FL 32819) and The First Academy (2667 Bruton Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32805) are the two best-known private schools within easy commute of MetroWest, Orlando. Holy Family is a PK-8 Catholic school in the Diocese of Orlando, located roughly 3 to 5 miles south of MetroWest in the Dr. Phillips area. The First Academy is a K4 through 12th grade Christ-centered college-preparatory school founded in 1987, sitting roughly 4 to 6 miles east of MetroWest on the First Baptist Church of Orlando campus near the Mall at Millenia. The two schools differ significantly in denomination, grade span, enrollment size, and tuition — Holy Family serves around 600-700 students; The First Academy serves over 1,200.
Let's be real: MetroWest doesn't have a private school inside its borders. What it does have is a location — that very useful spot in southwest Orlando hugging Kirkman and Apopka-Vineland — that puts a surprising number of well-regarded private schools within a normal school-morning drive. Two dominate the conversation when MetroWest families compare options: Holy Family Catholic School in Dr. Phillips and The First Academy near the Mall at Millenia.
Here's the thing, though. These two schools get mentioned in the same breath all the time, which makes them sound like peer alternatives. They're not. They're two completely different answers to "where should we send our kid?" — and the right one depends almost entirely on what your family actually wants.
Holy Family Catholic School: The PK-8 Catholic Option Just South
Holy Family Catholic School sits on S. Apopka-Vineland Road, technically inside the 32819 ZIP that locals associate with Dr. Phillips. From most of MetroWest, you're looking at roughly 3 to 5 miles depending on which side of the community you're starting from — generally a 10-minute drive in normal traffic.
The school is an educational ministry of Holy Family Catholic Church and operates as part of the Diocese of Orlando Catholic Schools system. It serves PK-3 through 8th, with enrollment typically in the 600-700 student range — large enough for real programming, small enough that families and staff actually know each other. Tuition runs in the affordable end of Orlando's private school market (recent third-party data places it around $7,000 per year — verify directly with the school for current rates).
What Makes Holy Family Distinctive
- Catholic faith formation built into the school day — daily prayer, weekly Mass, sacramental preparation
- Smaller, single-campus environment with PK through 8th under one roof
- Tuition that's more accessible than many area private schools, and the Florida tax-credit scholarship programs (like Step Up For Students) are accepted
- A natural bridge to Bishop Moore Catholic High School or other Central Florida Catholic high schools after 8th grade
Things to Weigh Honestly
The school caps at 8th grade, so if you're committed to private all the way through high school, you'll need a plan for grades 9-12 — a transition some families want to avoid by choosing K-12 from the start. Class sizes can also run larger than at higher-tuition private schools; published student-to-teacher ratios vary by source, so ask directly when you tour.
The First Academy: The K-12 College-Prep Option Just East
The First Academy (TFA, to anyone who's been around) sits at 2667 Bruton Boulevard on the campus of First Baptist Church of Orlando, just east of MetroWest near the Mall at Millenia. From most MetroWest addresses, you're typically 4 to 6 miles and 10 to 15 minutes away, depending on whether you take Conroy Road, Kirkman, or hop on the 408 briefly.
Founded in 1987, TFA is a Christ-centered, college-preparatory school serving K4 through 12th grade. Enrollment is over 1,200 students across four divisions — Lower School (preschool-5th), Middle School (6th-8th), Upper School (9th-12th), and Extended Educational Programs (including a Hybrid Home+School option). The campus covers roughly 20 acres.
What Makes The First Academy Distinctive
- Full K-12 in one place — no transition decision in middle school
- Robust athletics program across 18+ sports, with the resources of a larger campus
- Strong fine arts and AP/honors offerings in the Upper School
- Christ-centered, non-denominational evangelical framework rather than a specific denominational liturgy
- The Hybrid Home+School option, which is genuinely rare in Orlando and worth a look for families wanting partial homeschool flexibility
Things to Weigh Honestly
TFA is a significantly higher tuition commitment than Holy Family — aggregator reports place day tuition in the mid-$20,000s annually, with highest grades typically commanding the highest rates (verify current rates with admissions). It's also a much larger student body, which means more programs but a different feel than a smaller school. The religious formation is Baptist/evangelical in flavor — excellent fit for some families, not right for others. Worth a campus visit before deciding.
Honest Comparison: How They Actually Differ
One-glance comparison for MetroWest families:
- Denomination: Holy Family is Roman Catholic; TFA is Christ-centered with First Baptist Church of Orlando affiliation
- Grade span: Holy Family PK-3 through 8th; TFA K4 through 12th
- Size: Holy Family ~600-700 students; TFA over 1,200
- Tuition tier: Holy Family lower end of Orlando private school tuition; TFA upper end
- Direction from MetroWest: Holy Family south (Dr. Phillips); TFA east (Millenia)
- After 8th grade: Holy Family families transition to a Catholic or other private high school; TFA families stay put through graduation
None of these make one school "better" than the other. They make the schools right for different families.
What About Public and Charter Options?
Worth saying out loud: MetroWest has solid public options too, especially Metrowest Elementary on Metcalfe Avenue and the highly-regarded Windy Ridge K-8 just north in Hidden Springs. Many MetroWest families weigh private versus public carefully rather than assuming private is automatically better. Your specific MetroWest address matters more than most realize — verify the assignment on the OCPS site.
For broader context, our guides to Dr. Phillips schools and Windermere schools cover nearby alternatives MetroWest families also consider — Windermere Preparatory School in particular is a major K-12 private option west of MetroWest worth investigating.
Adjacent Communities Worth Considering
If you're still home-searching, MetroWest isn't the only community within reach of these schools. Dr. Phillips is the closest community to Holy Family and feeds well to TFA. Windermere is a manageable drive to both, and families chasing newer construction often look at Horizon West, though commutes lengthen noticeably from there. For background on the road network, our Interstate 4 guide and Florida Turnpike overview are useful — though for most MetroWest addresses, neither is part of the school commute.
What the Locals Know
Here's what experienced MetroWest families will tell you over coffee: tour both schools before you decide, even if you think you've already made up your mind. The feel of a school in person — how kids move through the halls, faculty turnover, how the parent community welcomes visitors — tells you more than any brochure or score average.
Don't underestimate the tuition gap either. Holy Family at around $7K versus TFA in the mid-$20Ks isn't small when you multiply by years and siblings. Florida's tax-credit scholarship programs (Step Up For Students and Family Empowerment Scholarship) have meaningfully expanded private school access — both schools accept them, but the math works differently at each tuition level. Worth a direct conversation with admissions.
And finally: the after-8th-grade question for Holy Family families is real. Start thinking about 9th-grade options earlier than expected. Bishop Moore Catholic, The First Academy itself (some families do switch), Windermere Preparatory, and several other Central Florida private high schools are all in the mix.
For more details on each school, visit the official Holy Family Catholic School and The First Academy websites. For Catholic school information across Central Florida, the Diocese of Orlando Catholic Schools site is the authoritative source.
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