Major changes coming for Trinity Lutheran Christian Academy

Times Contributor

 

Trinity Lutheran Christian Academy (TLCA) will be undergoing some major changes for the next school year that staff hope will entice more students.

The school has been operating for almost four years but parents could not use Golden Hills School Division bus services unless they lived on the west side of Strathmore. The school division will now allow students from across the community to utilize bus services to get to the school, which was a barrier for some students to attend, according to Wayne Funk, TLCA principal. 

Another barrier was the high cost for the faith-based programming, such as pastoral services and the school uniforms, Funk said. Parents are required to pay $500 a year because those costs aren’t part of the public school funding for TLCA. That cost is set to go down “significantly” next year, Funk said.

Funk believes these two issues contributed to low enrollment. The K-9 school has capacity for 200 students, but has only 75 enrolled this year. Funk said he hopes the changes bring enrollment to 100 next year, but more would certainly be welcome. The school will also be offering a Christian-focused pre-school program next year. The school could offer more options, especially to junior high students, if more students are enrolled, he added. 

The biggest change at the school is that the Strathmore Alliance Church (SAC) will now operate the faith-based programming. The newly formed Trinity Christian Academy Society will handle faith-based programs while acting as a conduit between the church and the school according to Darrell Young SAC lead pastor. The society is made up of parents, school and church staff.

“We don’t have all the details nailed down,” he said.

Previously, TLCA had a Lutheran group and pastoral staff but they weren’t locally based, according to Funk.

The school division and staff are thankful for the efforts of the Alpha Lutheran School Society, Funk said, which was involved with getting the public school with Christian programming started.

However, with the Strathmore Alliance Church only a block away from the school, it is likely pastoral staff will be available for students more often, Funk added.

A new name for the school is in the works and should be in place for next school year.

Along with Young, who will lead chapel services, SAC Youth Pastor Byron Allan and SAC Children’s Director Donna Fitzgerald will handle Christian programming for the students. Allan will work with junior high students, while Fitzgerald will be working with younger students.

For more information about the changes at the school, contact TLCA or the Golden Hills School Division.