Classical Christian Schools: Their Truth is Marching On
And parents are lining up to enroll their kids
A school building constructed in the 1920s will soon be home to a brand new Christian school called the Cornerstone Christian Academy. It will be the second Christian school to debut in Loudoun County, Virginia in as many years, with the opening of Evergreen Christian School to high school students in Leesburg last fall.
On Father's Day 2022, Cornerstone Chapel Senior Pastor Gary Hamrick announced that Dr. Sam Botta would head his church's new Cornerstone Christian Academy. Education Reporter welcomed the opportunity to visit with the new chief administrator about his new position.
A New Jersey native, Dr. Botta is a former principal and assistant superintendent of Christian schools, and also taught in public schools. He is a licensed minister and has logged time as a basketball coach.
Botta says he is grateful and humbled by this new opportunity God has given him, and believes that, contrary to the stated belief of some public officials, "parents are the primary educators of their children." He makes clear that parents "will be welcome in our school" and that "we are going to link arms so that all God has created your children to be we will help them become."
He relishes the exciting fact that he is part of a team that is building a school from the ground up, a very challenging yet gratifying prospect. "The determination of curricula, the hiring of teachers and staff; pretty much everything down to the ordering of paper clips is now part of my job description," he jokes, albeit with some gravity. "Of course, the Word of God will be the cornerstone for everything we do."
As for the curriculum, Botta's team will pull from the very best of the classical elements to ensure that students receive a sound academic foundation while developing a strong Christian worldview. "There will be some distinctive features of our school," he explains. "We will stand on truth and not shy away from objective truth, such as the preciousness of life, the fact that we are all created male or female, that marriage is between one man and one woman; those truths the world does not want to hear.
"What we will identify as 'calling prep' will also be part of our curriculum," he adds. It's a concept we glean from Psalm 139, verse 14 in scripture, that 'we are fearfully and wonderfully made.' This means each student's school experience will be to discover how God has wired him or her. For example, some students will go on to college while others will take up a trade or have a different type of calling."
In introducing his new Cornerstone Academy Head to his congregation in June, Pastor Gary Hamrick revealed that Dr. Botta's "was the first application we received, and even though we combed through hundreds more after it, his remained at the top of the list."
Interestingly, it was at his wife Lynda's urging that Dr. Botta applied, and he is glad he listened to her sage advice.
The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN News.com) reported on July 7 that Cornerstone has received at least 2,500 applications. The projected enrollment for the first year is 500 students, a nearly unprecedented number for a school that won't open until the fall of 2023. It is representative of the desperation level of many parents to find a new educational option for their kids.
Founded by Senior Pastor Gary Hamrick and the Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, Virginia, the new K-8 Christian school is located near Middleburg, about 20 miles from the church. CBN News reported that the school building, most recently occupied by the Middleburg Academy, a fully independent, nonsectarian school that closed in June 2020, "has classrooms, desks, a gym, cafeteria, and enough space for 500 elementary and middle school students." The church anticipates expanding the school by adding a grade level each year until it accommodates all K-12 grades.
Making the big announcement
In announcing the new school to his congregation in February of this year (which is included on the Cornerstone Chapel website), Hamrick recounted the horror stories coming out of the Loudoun County Public Schools, including the high-profile school board meeting confrontations, the two on-campus sexual attacks which the board and the administration attempted to cover up, and the teaching of transgender ideology and CRT in the classrooms.
For Hamrick, the final straw was the dismissal of teacher Tanner Cross for refusing to call students by preferred pronouns. He recalled asking himself: "What can we as a church do to help rescue parents, students, and teachers from the school system and create an environment where students can learn and teachers can teach from a biblical worldview?" His decision to found Cornerstone Christian Academy received a standing ovation from church members.
Hamrick admitted that he wanted to start a school 30 years ago, but explained: "To be honest, the idea of starting a Christian school then was a nicety, today it's a necessity." He stressed that he does not want to disparage all of Loudoun County's public schools, and that "there are some wonderful teachers and staff. But I make this announcement because things have changed, and we want to offer an option... This is a beautiful place the Lord is providing us."
He described the 90-day feasibility study that had to be done before the contract to purchase the school property could be completed, which proved satisfactory. He described how the school looked with its 22 classrooms, music room, athletic fields, including a high school regulation baseball field, and said: "Hand us the keys. We'll be glad to make use of it." He added that as the property has been vacant for two years, it does need some updating, including a new HVAC system and an upgrade to the water treatment system, which precluded their being able to open this fall, and instead had to push it back to fall 2023.
Although the contract is finalized, no students have been enrolled thus far, nor have tuition rates been set. But the overwhelming level of interest that followed the public announcement all but guarantees the school will be a success. Hamrick hopes to get an endowment to fund the school, and he acknowledges they have been receiving donations since the announcement was made. There are plans to offer scholarships.
Hamrick told CBN News that "he has heard from parents in 27 states eager for their children to attend." He has also been contacted by many teachers interested in the new school, noting that so far, he's received "over 450 emails from teachers wanting employment."
Public school enrollment declining
Loudoun County's community news source LoudounNow.com observed that the news about Cornerstone "comes just months after Loudoun County Public Schools recorded a 7% drop-off from projected enrollment — missing about 5,000 students." It's a phenomenon that has been reported nationwide during the past two years.
An August 5 commentary in The Washington Stand, a Family Research Council (FRC) publication, noted that since 2020, "a mass exodus of over 1.2 million students has left the public school system as parents seek alternative education routes, such as public charter schools, private schools, and homeschooling." The article might also have mentioned classical Christian schools like Cornerstone, which are popping up in many states—some as charter schools, although, as Pastor Hamrick clarified: "We'll be apart from the government schools so we will not be a charter school."
The Stand quoted FRC's senior fellow for Education Studies, Meg Kilgannon, who noted: "There are more and more challenges for public school systems across the country: teacher shortages, medical overreach, falling test scores, disciplinary issues, and even violence. Add to that the fact that parents rightly felt betrayed not only by prolonged closures in some regions, but also by overly political and sexual content in curricula."
Whether or not public-school enrollment continues to decline remains to be seen, but parental discontent with the increasingly extreme indoctrination shows no sign of letting up. Charter school enrollment has grown by seven percent, and enrollment in parochial Catholic schools is higher than it has been in 50 years. The number of homeschooling households has continued to rise as well over the past several years.
Cornerstone to fill a growing need
As a Christian school offering a solid curriculum from a uniquely scriptural perspective, and entirely independent of any government support, Cornerstone will be filling an educational niche that is growing across the country.
Hamrick admits he expected a lot of interest in a Christian school option that will incorporate classical elements, but said Cornerstone would be working with other Christian schools in the area as a partner, not a competitor. "We're offering this alternative because we're concerned with the trends we see in our culture as we get closer to the return of Christ. We have to look at how we are going to build one another up and support each other in the Lord. This is one of the ways."
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