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March 26, 2008

ACA going new school

High school set to open next fall

By Angela Weatherford

Next year, Athens will be the home of two high schools.

Athens Christian Preparatory Academy (ACP) will begin classes starting in late August 2008. Although the school will be a separate entity from the Athens Christian Academy, it will still be endorsed by the private academy.

“We are very excited about this new project, but at the same time we are a little scared,” said Teresa DeMay, a teacher at Athens Christian Academy who is heading the project to open the high school. “The school will be Christian, but non-denominational.”

Athens Christian Academy is a member of the Association of Christian Schools International. The proposed high school will be a non-profit educational corporation, DeMay said.

DeMay will be the acting administrator of the high school next year.

A tentative agreement has been made with the First Christian Church in Athens for a temporary campus.

“We have a few ideas for permanent sites,” DeMay said, “but the first couple of years will be a good gauge of community response.”

The school is meant to give another option for the community.

“The beauty of private school is we can be so much more creative with our classes,” DeMay said, “and that we can offer a Christian worldview.”

The school will be run according to a “University Model.” The model mimics the way universities and colleges function, according to DeMay. A student has the option to enroll either full-time or part-time. If a student wants a complete private education, they will register for a full course load.

The part-time option will create an opportunity for area homeschoolers to participate in classes of their choosing. Students only have to be enrolled in one class to be eligible to participate in club organizations and competitions.

“There is a huge home school population here,” she said, “and when the students get to high school age it is sometimes hard to find certain types of tutoring. This will be good resource.”

In keeping with the “University Model,” core courses will be offered on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday track, and arts and electives will run on a Tuesday-Thursday track.

“I think it is vitally important that we return the arts to their rightful place in education,” DeMay said. “We are also working on some very innovative electives that are aimed at preparation for real life situations.

“The word preparatory means much more than college preparation; it also means life preparation. We will look at each student and individualize their coursework according to their strengths and interests. We will have the flexibility to get very creative in this particular area.”

To attend the high school, students will enroll and sign up for a testing date and advisory date.

“The test is more for placement than acceptance,” DeMay said. “We don’t want to deny anyone if they truly want to get a Christian education.”

A series of informational meetings are set to inform parents about the new school. The first meeting is Monday, March 31, at 7 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in the choir room. After the meeting is over, enrollment will officially begin, DeMay said.

“I think the time has arrived for this kind of alternative in our community,” she said. “ACA has done a tremendous job of covering Christian education for kindergarten to eighth grade. A private Christian high school is really just the next logical step.”

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