Low enrollment combined with a lack of funding and faculty has forced a Habersham County school to close its doors just weeks before the start of the new school year. Faith Christian Academy in Mt. Airy announced on Wednesday that it is closing after four years.
The school, which is housed in facilities at Central Heights Christian Church, could not meet its financial obligations, according to the school’s resource director Cassandra Laws.
She says Faith Christian Academy has been struggling financially for some time and this past January had to restructure and re-budget. In April, she says parents were notified the school was going through the process and says some parents were already looking at other options.
“We were going out to the community getting donors and fundraising. We did all that we could do in those four months to meet the school’s needs and to keep the doors open,” says Laws.
By the end, student enrollment grew stagnant and the school was unable to recruit new teachers.
During a called meeting on July 15, the FCA Board of Directors voted to close the school. “The members of our board have huge, huge hearts,” Laws says. “It was the hardest decision that they’ve ever had to make.”
Board member Leigh Stallings Wood says it was with “a heavy heart” that they made the decision to close. “It was not for the lack of devotion and love…we simply did not have enough returning students and staff. It broke my heart but looking at it from a business standpoint we had no other choice.”
FCA administrators sent out a mass email to parents and students on July 17 notifying them of the decision. Laws says they chose to do it that way in order to avoid overlapping phone calls and to make sure everyone was notified at the same time.
What now?
There were 21 students enrolled in FCA for the upcoming school year. Those students and parents will now have to make other plans. The school office will remain open for the time being so that students may obtain their transcripts. Administrators will also be available to help guide families as they consider their educational options.
Laws says she’s grateful to the community for all that it’s done to support FCA through the years. “When we were struggling, you would not believe how the community rallied to support us. This is an amazing community and amazing parents and we’re going to miss them so much.”
Administrators are now in the process of officially closing the school and that includes contacting vendors, accreditation, and licensing agencies.
FCA will honor its current teacher contracts and the remaining 15 faculty members will be paid through the end of July.
Although it’s been a difficult, heartrending process, Laws remains positive. “We started this process prayerfully and trusted God through this process,” she says. “He’s got every one of us in his hand and he’s going to guide each and every one of us where he wants us to go.”
