Charter, Christian or Public?

Charter, Christian institutions draw students away from public schools

By Lauren Harris

Thursday, June 4, 2009 — Stanly County Schools (SCS) is predicted to lose 248 students for the 2010-2011 academic school year, resulting in a loss of $1.5 million in state funding for education.

On top of that, Gov. Bev Perdue’s budget cuts $1.6 million in funding and the NC Senate’s budget cuts even more, $3.1 million. These cuts will translate into between 9.5 and 46.3 teaching jobs lost.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the NC House budget was still being trimmed with a final version expected next week. Regardless, SCS Finance Director Bill Josey knows there will be even more cuts headed to SCS.

While it is a NC public school, Gray Stone Day School is a charter school governed by a non-profit organization, the Gray Stone Educational Foundation, Inc., and is not part of SCS, but receives state funding based on the average daily membership, as does SCS.

For 2008-2009, Gray Stone has a total of 208 students in grades 9-12.

Private schools are separated completely from the public school system. Qualified non-public schools must be accredited by the State Board of Education, accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, active members in the North Carolina Association of Independent Schools, and receive no funding from the state.

Christ the King Christian Academy, Park Ridge and Carolina Christian School are private schools with 73, 212, and 113 students, respectively, bringing the total to 606 when added to Gray Stone’s total.

Christ the King in New London doesn’t receive any money from the state and runs off tuition payments and contributions to support grades K-12.

Carolina Christian School in Locust is accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and Christian Schools International and educates grades K-9 with the help of tuition and donations.

So, why do teachers and students choose to attend schools other than those under the SCS jurisdiction?

While charter and private schools are a work-in-progress with limited resources and extracurricular programs, many students still prefer their methods of instruction.

Teachers and students are attracted to charter and private schools for a number of reasons, which some say includes a higher standard of respect for staff and students, smaller class sizes and the freedom to teach subjects that are not allowed in the public school system.

Gray Stone students Morgan Pennington and Cassidy Stoner both admitted that they enrolled there at their parents’ request. However, after a successful year of learning and being accepted into the Gray Stone family, they know they made the right choice.

“It’s pretty great. It’s the best decision my mom ever made for me,” Stoner said.

Gray Stone’s faculty and student body have become a family for Pennington and Stoner. Due to the smaller class sizes, intriguing teachers and the level of maturity expected from the students, they found relief from social cliques and troublemakers. Gray Stone’s positive learning environment encourages Pennington and Stoner to discover, ask questions and take learning seriously.

Teachers Tara Van Geons and Brian Lytton taught in public schools before coming to Gray Stone.

For Van Geons, it is important to be treated as a professional in her field, and she has the opportunity at Gray Stone to teach what she is interested in and create a well-rounded learning environment.

While Van Geons expected a higher standard of learning, she was pleasantly surprised to be challenged in her teaching skills.

“I am very happy at Gray Stone and would like to continue here . . . [the school] allows students and teachers to flourish,” she said.

Lytton was burned out at the public schools and chose to teach at Gray Stone because of the smaller class sizes and total enrollment.

“It has been very exciting to come to a smaller school and teach children who are motivated and ready to work,” Lytton said.

Although Lytton admits that it is harder to teach due to the lack of equipment and old classroom buildings, the “pluses by far outweigh the negatives.”

While Gray Stone focuses on academic excellence, Christ the King Christian Academy devotes time to teaching moral responsibility.

John Kahl, founder, principal and teacher at Christ the King, expects three life goals from his teachers: expertise in the subject or grade being taught, a Christian witness and pleasure in teaching. He believes that teachers are one of the biggest role models in children’s lives, and should set an example in the classroom and in the community.

Teachers Hope Coble and Brenda Almond share in Kahl’s vision for Christ the King. Their firm belief in sharing the gospel of Christ by being examples to the world fires their passion for teaching.

Coble had been a teacher’s assistant, bus driver and substitute in the public school system for several years before she joined Christ the King to teach kindergarten. She takes pleasure in starting the day off with prayer and Bible study, something not allowed in the public school system. She has the freedom to answer questions the children have about Christianity without the fear of losing her job.

“I feel like I’m living my dream,” said Coble.

While public schools pay more and include benefits, Coble would not trade her job for anything.

Almond spent 12 years in the public school system working as a teacher’s assistant. While she strongly believes in witnessing to the children as an example, one of the major problems she feels addressed at Christ the King is reading and comprehension. She feels that the school’s Abeka curriculum serves as a good foundation, enabling children to gain reading skills and read on a higher level.

Like Christ the King, Carolina Christian School focuses on a strong academic curriculum with a firm foundation in God’s word and applying Christian principles in the classroom.

Headmaster Adam Thomas’ vision for the school is “to teach the mind and guide the soul through a deeper understanding of God the Creator and His world.”

Thomas encourages many different people of different religious backgrounds to attend.

Teachers Bonnie Grigg and Cherry Freda believe in teaching a higher standard of education and moral influences.

“I want an excellent education from an academic standpoint with a Christian world view added to it,” Grigg said.

Grigg enrolled her children in Carolina Christian School because of the academic curriculum, the quality of teachers, smaller class sizes, influential control and the freedom to talk about Christ.

Freda worked in the public school system for seven years and was not at all dissatisfied with the public school system. She applied to Carolina Christian because she saw it as a opportunity to minister to the students.

“When I was accepted, I didn’t know anything about Christian education. I was surprised as I began to see the value. Everything is centered around God and his glory,” Freda said.

Freda sees Carolina Christian School as an option for those who wish to have their children participate in activities and lessons that reveal God’s word.

Student Phyllis Kluttz has attended Carolina Christian for several years and previously attended a public high school. While the public school was not bad, Kluttz felt her place was in a Christian school.

“I wanted to go where I felt comfortable,” Kluttz said.

For Kluttz, the small class sizes and one-on-one teaching helps her learn more about the world.

As shown through the eyes of teachers and students alike, whether public, private or charter, school is what one makes of it.



Lauren Harris is an intern for The Stanly News and Press. Call her at (704) 982-2121.

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