Bible Center School plans for high school expansion, first class coming in 2026

A gradual expansion

Bible Center School opened in 1981 with the completion of the Family Center at Bible Center Church. Both were originally housed at the school’s current site, 1111 Oakhurst Drive.

Initially, the school served only first grade. Grade levels were added one per year as enrollment grew. By the 2011-12 school year, Bible Center offered a full elementary and middle school program, with grades kindergarten through eighth.

Stephanie Schafer, head of school, said Bible Center School currently enrolls 280 K-8 students and 60 preschoolers, with tuition ranging from $8,300 to $8,800 per year, depending on age.

Schafer said the high school will use the same curriculum as the elementary and middle grades to maintain a consistent Christian-based education, with a focus on college and vocational preparedness.

Officials said the idea of expanding to high school has been considered for more than 20 years. Interest picked up when an exploratory committee surveyed families and found that more than 80% wanted a high school option.

Executive Pastor Troy Thornton said funding for the expansion will come primarily from tuition, with about 10% contributed by the church. The school has not yet released a cost estimate, as it has not gone through the design or bidding process.

The school will begin with ninth grade in 2026, adding one grade per year. A new batch of ninth graders will be added each fall until 2028, which is when Bible Center’s oldest students will transition to a new building.

“At that point, we will have maxed out what we can fit on this campus. So then we need to move,� Thornton said.

Students will be taught in portable classrooms at its current location at 1111 Oakhurst Drive until the new facility is completed at Bible Center’s Southridge campus, located at 100 Bible Center Drive.

The goal is to open the new building by fall 2028 to house middle and high school students at the Southridge campus, while the current building will be used for preschool and elementary students.

A Bible-centered education

The curriculum is based on a Biblical worldview and uses materials from Bob Jones University Press, which the publisher describes as combining Christian teachings with rigorous academics.

Bible Center School’s curriculum maps, available on its website, show how lessons align with both state and national standards while integrating Biblical principles.

John King, lead pastor of the church, said a key benefit of Christian education is that it gives students a “foundational worldview based on core Biblical truths.�

“We choose to believe that the Bible is true, and so we look to it to guide us. We teach students that wisdom comes from God. So we teach them math, but we teach them that math is ultimately something that God has given us the ability to do,� he said.

Officials said they’re aware that students’ high school years set them on the path to adulthood and careers.

“Our motto is ‘From here, go anywhere,’� Thornton said. “We understand college preparatory is important, but we also understand that college is not for everybody ... The concept of having [partnerships with vocational schools] available with honors-level classes is what we’re shooting for.�

Bible Center School is accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International, and officials said they plan to complete accreditation for the high school program by 2026.

Parental perspective

Several factors typically go into a family’s choice of Christian education.

Sarah Ellis’ children, currently in third and fourth grades, were set to begin school during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her family explored both public and private school options to find the right fit.

Ellis — whose family is among the 50% of the student population that attends Bible Center Church — said they chose the school for its quality education, Biblical worldview, and positive reputation within their church community.

“The teachers that my children have had have been excellent at disciplining [them], and loving on [them], and taking an interest in them in ways that I think are exceptional,� she said.

Matthew Colagrosso, whose fourth-grade son attends the school, said his wife’s older children experienced violence and sexual assault in public schools.

“There were instances of sexual assault, that kind of stuff going on in schools, and it just wasn’t comfortable. You want to send your kids to a safe environment, and you expect the school system to provide that, and at that particular point in time, it just wasn’t,� he said.

He also expressed concerns that public schools had become too politicized.

“When kids know the political viewpoints or all the other nonsense that’s going on in the world today, and kids are aware of that from their teacher’s perspective, then [teachers are] overstepping their bounds,� he said. “That’s not the school’s place.�

He felt public schools weren’t effectively preparing students for life and didn’t offer a safe environment, leading his family to choose Bible Center.

Both families said they would have considered Cross Lanes Christian School or public school if Bible Center hadn’t expanded to high school.

Sports plans

Currently, the school offers a full roster of sports, including soccer, volleyball, track, cheerleading and golf.

Thornton said the school will also take a phased approach to high school athletics.

At first, the school will initially compete in the National Christian School Athletic Association before also joining the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission.

Schafer noted that middle school teams are consistently full, and school leaders are confident high school sports will be just as popular.

“Our hope is to compete with the public schools,� Thornton said.

The school is already speaking with potential coaches and planning how to build out its athletic offerings.

Hope across the Mountain State

According to the West Virginia Treasurer’s Office, the Hope Scholarship — which provides financial support for students to pursue education outside traditional public schools — will be open to an additional 30,000 to 40,000 students next school year.

With high school expansion planned for 2026-2027, more families could potentially enroll at Bible Center School.

“To say [the Hope Scholarship expansion is] not on the radar is probably not factual,� Thornton said. “But I would say that it didn’t factor into our decision process ... those things can come and go.�

He added, “What I like about [the Hope Scholarship] is that it opens opportunities for folks to more affordably participate in what we would call the Biblical worldview type of education, or private or Christian education.�

There is value in the values

Ellis said she expects the new program to offer the same quality education and instill leadership skills.

“The values that are instilled at this school have certainly influenced who they are as kids and have impacted our family in a positive way,� she said.

Colagrosso agreed, calling Bible Center School a second family. He appreciates, for example, his son’s teacher sending out weekly newsletters offering prayers for each student.

“It’s hard to put a price tag on the lack of worry,� he said. “It’s money well spent.�