Presbyterian School is a private, coeducational Christian PreK-8 day school in the Museum District, Houston. Presbyterian School is composed of three divisions: an Early Childhood division, Alpha through Pre-kindergarten, a Lower School division, Kindergarten through grade four, and a Middle School division, fifth through eighth grade. The School shares a campus with First Presbyterian Church but is governed by an independent Board of Trustees and maintains an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation status. The School is financially independent from First Presbyterian Church. History In 1986, Dr. John William Lancaster appointed a School Study Committee to explore the feasibility of an Early Childhood and Lower School at the church. Presbyterian School was officially founded in 1988 and opened its doors in the Fall of 1989. The original goal was to starting with those kindergarten age and younger and add an additional grade each year thereafter. In August 2000, the school expanded with its addition of a middle school and accepted its first class of fifth and sixth graders. Presbyterian graduated its first class of eighth grade students in 2003. That year, Ray Johnson, formerly the principal of All Saints School in Tyler, Texas, became the principal at Presbyterian. In 2005, Houston's Presbyterian School acquired over of land from the school and embarked on a $6.5 million capital campaign to create a sports and outdoor education complex. As of that year it had 490 students. Memberships and accreditations Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS) National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Council for Spiritual and Ethical Education (CSEE) Educational Records Bureau (ERB) Elementary School Heads' Association (ESHA) Houston Association of Independent Schools (HAIS) Independent School Management (ISM) School Office Services (SOS) Campus Presbyterian School is located in the First Presbyterian Church of Houston. Presbyterian School counts among its neighbors institutions of learning and the arts such as Rice University, The Museum of Natural Science, Houston's Medical Center, The Houston Children's Museum, The Museum of Fine Arts and St. Thomas University. The main campus includes two learning commons, four science labs, two art rooms (including in-house kiln), two music rooms, an Academic Enrichment Center, two gymnasiums, a 1200-seat theatre, sanctuary and chapel. Presbyterian School enrolls more than 490 children from age 2 through eighth grade. Presbyterian School has expanded its campus to include a 14-acre Outdoor Education Campus (OEC) less than five miles from the school.