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Neighborhood Christian Schools Expands

Set to launch its second academic year, Neighborhood Christian Schools has expanded to an additional location to accept students in sixth through ninth grades. Originally opened at Hutton Valley Schoolhouse in the fall of 2020, NCS started out with a grammar school. In its first year, the school taught kindergarten through fifth grade using a one-room schoolhouse model of classical Christian education. This year, older students will meet in classrooms at First General Baptist Church for what NCS is calling the Academy. Both locations will use a four-day school week this year. 
In the classical model of education, junior high studies shift from memorization to a focus on logic. Students will spend much of each day in debate and dialogue.
“Junior high students love to argue, so let’s teach them how to argue correctly,” quipped the headmaster, Joel Hinds.
 
 
Double the Faculty Means Double the Expense
Practically speaking, this means the school’s teaching staff has expanded to four teachers. 
“Doubling the balance sheet means we need to double the donor base,” said Hinds.
Tuition for attendance at NCS is based on a sliding scale based on the pupils’ family’s income. The majority of the students currently pay a reduced tuition rate ranging from $500 to $3,800 per year per student. It costs the school $4,800 a year to educate each child, which means the school relies heavily on donors to finance each student’s education. 
Hinds was quick to point out that NCS receives absolutely no tax-based funding. Unlike public schools that receive upwards of $8,000 per student, there is no tax revenue in NCS’s coffers. New legislation recently passed to benefit charter schools only applies to cities with a population of 30,000 or more, so it diverts no benefit to any school in Howell County. 
NCS has a need for more donors to achieve their fundraising goals for the upcoming year and keep tuition affordable for their students. Hinds pointed out that local poverty rates are double the national average. The stated mission of NCS is, “to assist area families by providing a Christian, classical, and practical education at an affordable price.” 
“If we had 250 new people give $50 a month, we would break even,” Hinds said. 
Donations are welcome at all levels, both as one-time gifts and monthly gifts. $100 a month can finance one quarter of a student’s tuition. Hinds referred to the school’s website www.classicalncs.com, which he says is the best way to donate. 
 
 
Families interested in sending a child to NCS or who simply want more information, can fill out the "Student Info Form" under the Admissions tab on the website. Their Facebook and YouTube pages also feature several informational videos.
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Howell County News

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