JUPITER FARMS, Fla. — A proposal to build a new K-12 Christian school in Jupiter Farms continues to draw strong opinions from residents — some welcoming the idea, others raising concerns about how it could change their community.
The plan drew a large crowd to a Tuesday community meeting, where residents on both sides made their voices heard.
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The proposed 18-acre school campus, located along Indiantown Road and Rocky Pines Road, would bring 975 students to the area. It would sit just one mile from Calvary Church, which is funded by the same group behind the school proposal.
Angela Ware, a longtime Jupiter Farms resident who supports the plan, said she sees a clear need for the school.
"As a parent who has a daughter and then we're planning to have more children, we do believe this is a big need in our community," Ware said.
Her husband, Brayson Ware, pointed to a generational shift happening in the neighborhood.
"We're kind of seeing this shift within the community of the older generations selling to younger generations who either have children or want children and those children need a place to go to school," Brayson Ware said.
According to the project's website, at least 25% of the natural vegetation on the property will be preserved. Calvary Church also addressed traffic concerns on its website, stating it will comply with all guidelines and recommendations presented by the county's traffic division and is committed to exploring all feasible measures to mitigate potential traffic impacts.
However, not everyone is on board. Jennifer Reelitz, who lives near the proposed site, said the location is the wrong fit — not the concept.
"I'm not against Christian education. I'm a product of Christian education," Reelitz said.
She argued the project conflicts with the area's long-standing identity.
"This is a residential agricultural community that for 40 years has been shooting down development projects," Reelitz said.
Residents say that despite the reduction changes made by the developers, traffic congestion is a top concern.
"Residents are laughing at developers because we don't care about reduction, we want this to go somewhere else,” said Reelitz. "We don't want hundreds or thousands of people commuting into Jupiter Farms every day.”
Pending county approval, the school could open as early as the 2027-2028 school year. According to county documents, the project's zoning commission hearing was originally scheduled for May 7 but was postponed to June 4. It is then set to go before county commissioners on June 17.
