As Calvary Christian School, Bellefontaine, continues to see enrollment numbers rise, the need for a new facility becomes more and more imperative. In fact, with the school growing at 15 to 20 percent a year, the time to grow is now.
With that in mind, the school hosted their Building on the Rock banquet Thursday, Dec. 15, at Calvary Baptist Church. Friends, staff and school supporters filled the cafeteria to enjoy a meal provided by Where There’s Smoke barbecue, which was served by CCS students.
But they were mostly there to hear updates regarding the development of a new school campus, starting with the near-completion of phase 1 — an 8,400-square-foot building that will include seven classrooms plus offices. First- through third-graders will begin classes there after Christmas break. This phase, at a cost of $2.5 million, is fully paid, making it a debt-free asset for the school.
The main focus of the evening, though, was to set the stage for funding phase 2. At 45,000-square-feet, the next building will serve students in preschool through sixth grade. It will include a much-needed full-size gym — the school currently has to use the facility at Union Station for home games and other events — along with a library and rooms for music, art, intervention and more.
“The demand is now,” Ryan Hyde, head of the school, told the attendees. “The students are already here; we just need the space.”
At an estimated cost of $7 million, the elementary school will adjoin the phase 1 building. The goal is to have it ready in time for the 2024-2025 school year. Phase 3 will add a high school with its own gym and dedicated athletic fields for outdoor sports, with a price tag of approximately $10 million.
What has helped CCS tremendously was the 40 acres Calvary Baptist Church designated for the school. In fact, the church voted on Sunday, Dec. 18, to officially give that land to CCS. The new campus’s driveway connects to County Road 9, but the school can also be reached from U.S. Route 68.
Thursday night’s event included words from several people connected to the school, beginning with April King, who serves as vice president of the school board and has been involved with CCS since the early 2000s, when it still only enrolled students in kindergarten through eighth grade. They eventually expanded to a full K-12 school in 2012.
“It’s important for parents to direct their children’s education and make sure God is front and center in our lives,” she said.
Second-grade teacher Marissa Smith stated, “We are here, yes, to teach our students addition or U.S. history or how to play the trumpet, but, ultimately, we’re here to share the good news of the Gospel.”
Such a sentiment carried through the evening, with a highlight coming from 2020 CCS graduate Josh Harmison, who shared the impact Calvary and, especially, the people there have had on his life.
“The teachers go the extra mile,” he said. “It’s not just a job but a platform to change kids’ lives.”
New student Gideon Soma, ninth-grade, also spoke, sharing his difficulties after losing both of his parents.
“Many great things have come out of the terrible things that have happened to me, and one of those is Calvary,” Soma quietly told the hushed crowd, adding, “God will take you through stony roads and hot deserts and bring you to so much more.
“I’m glad I can slow down and look at the beautiful world around me because of Calvary,” he concluded.
The evening ended with final thoughts from Hyde. “We did our thing for many years and it was comfortable,” he said. “But if God keeps showing us the next step it would be unfaithful not to take those steps.”
Currently on their Christmas break, CCS will start up classes again on Monday, Jan. 9,, with first- through third-graders officially at the new site.
The community is invited to an open house there from 4 to 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 6. You can learn more about the school by visiting ccsspartans.com.
Calvary Christian School expressed appreciation to sponsors for Thursday’s event: CBS Home Inspection, Deep Roots Renovations and Design Co., Gathering Grounds, Link Construction Group, Marmon Valley Farm, Sweet Aromas, VanScoy Wood Products LLC and Wishwell Farms.