Starting Christian Schools
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Education Plan
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Before you start a Christian school, you must have an education plan. Start with determining the number of grades you want to teach and the curricula used. A Beka Book is a popular nondenominational Christian curriculum used in Christian schools and Christian-based home schools. From there, you can decide which communities you plan to reach, where you plan to hold the school and any other associated logistics.
Establishing Costs
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Once your education plan is established, you can start figuring out costs. Transportation, supplies, utilities, facility maintenance, initial curriculum--they all come into play. You also need to consider teaching and administrative salaries. These funds should be expressed as a per-student cost so people can get a better feel for how much money you need to establish and operate your Christian school when it comes time for fundraising.
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Volunteers
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Volunteers are often the heart of a Christian school. With no direct state funding and a need to serve a not-always-affluent community, the school will find volunteers a valuable asset. However, you don't want to get just any person who is willing to help. Your volunteers should be highly qualified in the areas for which you need them, such as curriculum advice and instruction. Quality, spiritual volunteers help convince the church community and other organizations that your Christian school is a legitimate school that will provide quality education worth the tuition. You should also consider talking to Christian colleges to see whether they offer any teacher-training courses.
Funding
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With costs established and volunteers set in place, you can begin to raise funds to support your school. This will take a considerably large effort that should require volunteers in and outside the church. There may also be nonprofit organizations that are able to raise and donate funds to your school. Although your school may not directly receive government funding, parents could receive vouchers to attend Christian schools through faith-based community initiatives if you participate in a faith-based community program. Your school could also qualify for educational grants in areas such as tutoring or migrant-worker education.
State Requirements
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Christian schools oftentimes must meet state requirements even if they are not publicly funded. These requirements are used to give accreditation for your school. This is important if your school is considering high school education and you want your students' degrees to qualify for higher education. That is another driving factor for parents to choose your school over public education. Many states have different rules, but most states will look at the certification of your teachers and curriculum taught. Also, requirements may depend on how your school is funded.
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