By Sherry Larson
People’s Defender
“You’ve got to have fun,” says Kristyn Casteel, Treasurer of the Adams County Christian School (aka Director of Fun Stuff). She’s part of three joyful educators the Defender met with on Friday morning, including Jamie Bennington, Superintendent, and Kristen Gulley, Educational Director. Principal Lizzie Brown could not join us due to a family illness. Casteel is the longest-running employee of the group and is in her 5fifth school year. Bennington and Gulley joined the staff in 2019 as teachers.
Bennington, who served as Principal last year, said, “Last year we worked in a more hierarchical structure, and this year we’ve transitioned into a team of people.” They now have an Educational Director because they recognized the weakness. He continued, “She’s taking care of almost everything education, curriculum, teachers, professional development, all of those pieces.” Brown takes care of discipline, parents, daily operations, and coordination of all areas. Brown started as the school’s secretary. Bennington stated, “She had a good rapport and relationship with families and parents. She’s wise and a great person. The whole administration team is phenomenal.” Brown’s husband, Ron, provides IT services for the school.
Casteel describes the work they do at the school as a mission field. She said, “We are in the ministry. That’s what fuels our fire – working for the Lord. We are the hands and feet of Jesus Christ every day, and our kids are just as broken as the rest of the nation. We get to help them find Jesus and see him through all the hurt and the pain.” Gulley stated, “I think there is a misconception that everybody who goes here has a family background of the church. We have kids the same as every other school in the district where grandparents raise them (students), or their parents are struggling themselves.” Casteel adds, “We look for a willingness in our interview process. We want them to want to be the next generation of Christian leaders. We want to see a willingness not just in our students, but in our families.”
The school is not only interested in feeding their students’ intellect and spirits but also in caring for their basic physical needs, like ensuring they get breakfast or lunch. Casteel said, “They’re never going to listen to us if all they can hear is the roar of their belly.”
When asked about curriculum, Gulley explains that they use a combination. Still, the primary source is from Bob Jones University for elementary school and Answers in Genesis for high school. They also have art and physical education in elementary school and added drama and choir at the high school level. Gulley stated, “We’re working to meet the needs of the kids, so if we need to change some things up – we do.” She explained that the students still have standards and requirements to meet. She said, “We hold ourselves to standards to ensure they’re learning what they need to succeed in life.”
The students attending Adams County Christian School come from all over Adams County, and one student comes from Brown County. Casteel explained, “We are a non-public charter K 12 school with the state of Ohio.” Anything the state requires for a public school; they require for a Christian school. She continued, “The difference is we are private, so we have a little more flexibility in our curriculum. We can’t use state funds if our math curriculum is biblically based. Those funds come from our ACCS funds.” The school does accept ED Choice scholarships. The state offers two scholarships. One is traditionally based, meaning a student can enroll at the Christian school on a traditional scholarship that covers all expenses if they live in a failing school district. There are a few other ways to obtain a traditional scholarship. Most of the Adams County students are on an ED Choice scholarship. The state also offers an expansion scholarship which is income based, and the state determines if a student falls below the limits.
Bennington cites “space” as one of their biggest challenges. The enrollment is 173, ranging from grades K-12. They are at capacity and hope to add space and resources to accommodate more students and students with differing needs. Gulley stated, “We want to grow, but we want to do it the right way. We want to meet the needs of the students we have here.”
Students attending ACCS can also participate in sports at their local public school if ACCS does not offer the sport. Gulley explained, “Technically, whatever district you live in, like if you’re a student here, but you live in Seaman, you can play soccer on the North Adams team.” Although ACCS offers basketball and volleyball, they hope to provide track and soccer in the future. Casteel said, “We have big dreams, a bigger school, a bigger athletic department.” Of course, big dreams take significant money, and ACCS is receptive to gifts. Casteel stated, “Because we are a private school, any donation is tax deductible.” Their tuition covers about 60% of their expenses. She continued, “We rely on donations.” Currently, the school needs four HVAC units to total nearly $30,000. Casteel stated, “How’s that going to get fixed? – The Lord! He’s going to show up as he has before. He has never failed us.”
Redeemed Treasures is a thrift school operated by ACCS. The school and the Redeemed Treasures buildings are debt free. Any profit made from sales at Redeemed Treasures goes to the school for special projects or books. Manager Chy King also works with the community to help individuals in need. Casteel gave the example of a family who lost their home a few years ago. She explained that King was able to provide them with many things they needed. She stated, “Sure, we could sell that stuff but giving to the people is more important. The ministry side is where it’s at – that’s where Jesus will meet us.”
Like the public schools, ACCS is making strides to keep its children safe. They currently have a badge system for the doors and a camera monitoring system. They also provide training for students.
Bennington believes in his staff and their strong relationships with students. He said, “The teachers and the administration are phenomenal, and they love these kids. It’s important to love them well and their families. One of the things I loved when I came here was our mission is to come alongside the parent and help the parent – that’s important.” Concerning goals, he added, “We are trying to value our teachers more and treat and care about them first as people and give them the resources they need. We want to build a family.”
“We don’t feel like we compete with other schools in the area,” said Bennington. “We have a good relationship, and we want to work with our community and love our community well. We want to do that as a school – beyond our doors.” Casteel piggybacks, “Even if you’re not a student or family of ACCS, we want people to know we love them. We’ll do what we can to come alongside them. Because if we’re going to change this world, we’re going to have to love each other better.”
“It’s not just about education,” said Casteel, “We want to see these kids go further with God than we are going. We love the kids, and we love God.”