The Christian School movement is on life support, at least in the Northeast. This extended economic downturn has put the final nails in its coffin, and the average Christian family can no longer afford to have their children in a Christian school. Total enrollment is way down, and even with numerous schools closing, the number of students in the remaining schools is on the wane. It’s hard to believe that Christian School was ever affordable for the average middle-to-low income family–but it was, and those of us who were around back then remember how it worked.
Disclaimer: I only worked in 5 Christian Schools, but I visited, observed, and evaluated many more. Every item on my list of memories may not be true for every school, but every item existed and made the movement viable.
Why were Christian Schools affordable in the ’70’s and 80’s?
- They used existing facilities–often the church building. Sunday school rooms became Monday school rooms, which needed to be torn down every Friday afternoon, and set up after church on Sunday night.
- They used affordable curriculum. The ACE and Alpha-Omega workbooks could be bought and used for pennies on the day; and more traditional schools utilized hand-me-downs and used texts whenever available. One school where I taught was using 40-year-old literature books; they were sturdy, durable, and the core content hadn’t changed. Other schools had parents buy books, and then sell them to the next group of parents at a discount. Saxon algebra books were available for free, and didn’t require the purchase of a scientific calculator.
- They used volunteer personnel. Every school had at least one principal/headmaster/supervisor on the payroll, and many had a handful of sacrificing teachers; but a LOT of the work was done by parent volunteers. The lunch program–if there was one–was run by volunteers. Recess, Phys. Ed., music, art, teacher aid duties, chapels, transportation, and even cleaning and maintenance were provided at no cost by committed parents who know that their involvement was the secret to keeping costs down. And while many teachers were hired, they were done so at wages far below their public-school counterparts (and willingly so.)
- They were underwritten by the church. Christian schools were often owned by a church that picked up major aspects of the expense, and many fundamental churches in the area included the local Christian School in their missionary budget. It was understood that tuition and fees could not and should not pay the way, and church support and donations often constituted up to 50% of the school’s annual budget.
Often, there were no gyms, music rooms, computers, Smart boards, special ed programs, advanced placement, science labs, or school buses–and yet a generation of students graduated well-versed in the three R’s, and many have gone on to be productive citizens and active church members. And isn’t that what we want today?
[Of course it is–as long as it comes with a great sports program, exceptional music, state-of-the-art science and computer programs, pre-school and after-school programs, beautiful and well-maintained facilities separate from the church, programs for gifted and talented students as well as the intellectually challenged, the most current curriculum materials, and minimal meddling from the pastor and church board.]
Our motivations for Christan Schools have changed–both for us as parents, and for our churches. As parents “raised” their expectations, and churches lowered their levels of involvement in the movement, the costs went up substantially and irreversibly. And don’t blame the home school movement–it didn’t destroy Christian Education. In many ways, it has been a return to the values of the early, affordable Christian Schools.
I love Christian Schools, and I would be teaching in one today if an opening were to come up. I just hope that the schools and I both survive the economic downturn long enough to join forces once again in the cause of Christian Education.
A native of Upstate New York, I began my walk with Christ at age 16. My ministries have included teaching, tutoring, preaching, writing, editing, etc., and now I hope to extend my outreach through this website.
As a product of christian schools my whole life I see things from a slightly different perspective. I missed having art class and a “real” volleyball team. I wonder what it would have been like to be immersed in the public school environment at an early age instead of being exposed mostly though my first job. I am greatful for a good, strong education and truly caring teachers who I knew personally and still look up to. I agree that if the dedication were there, a Christian school could still be a viable thing in todays economy. However, I feel torn. I am a well-educated, strong Christ believing product of that dedication but I can also give a first-hand account of what that dedication truly can cost- to families, individuals, churches, and students. I believe God calls us to be dedicated and to serve, like anything else it is about finding that perfect balance.
Elizabeth, I understand and appreciate your comments. I know that in striving to keep Christian school affordable for my family, I “lost” my family and often wondered if it was worth it.
In order to analyze whether the cost was worth the dedication, and to try to determine where the balance should have been, we will have to examine the motives behind that early Christian School movement, and whether achieving the goals was worth the sacrifice. I hope to address these issues in a future post.
I think you nailed the issue, Bob: motivations–goals. Parents fall prey to the values of the culture and forget that God must set the course. The same things happen in the Homeschool setting. Desires to ‘give’ the best to our children become our idol–rather than letting God speak into our heart and theirs. Unless He teaches us and them, nothing is learned and our natural inclinations lead us astray. Trusting Him to direct our hearts to instruct them in the way He designed them takes constant humility and confidence in Him to extend wisdom and grace (to us and to our children). Maybe God will lead you to begin a small cost-effective school using what He has given to you–or a support school for homeschooling parents? You surely have blessed us.
For my husband and I to send our 3 children to our local Christian schools, it would cost us $10,000 a year to do so. There is no way under our current circumstances that we can afford to do that. It is sad because my younger ones have shown interest in going.
I saw the struggles my parents went through to get us through as far as we got in Christian school. I’m ever grateful to them for all they did.
As expensive as Chrisian education was 30 years ago when I went, it is hearbreaking to see that the option today is much more so. For the tuition my parents paid for 3 of us to go in 1983, it costs more just to send 1 child today.
I was a public school teacher for 10 years, Christian school teacher for 12 years and am now a home school mom. I agree with RD Bowker. I saw first hand a great christian school come out from the church that started it and seek to become as good as or better than the public schools around it. I saw rich parents’ ideas and children being catered too. I don’t think this was the plan of the school. It just became necessary to keep the school running. I think there is one more reason that Christian education is so expensive. The cost of Christian textbooks and curriculum has become hugely expensive. So much so that it is hard for home school parents to purchase curriculum. As a missionary I have had to create my own curriculum – forget trying to buy curriculum for the world’s poor! All that, to me, points to an even bigger problem. Christians in America have turned their focus all too often on this life. We (and I include myself) because I was there too) have focused on obtaining the American dream, comfort, status, vacations, and things Americans lived well without a few years ago. We have traded family time for organized sports and activities for the children. We lost sight of eternity and God’s plan for all mankind.