News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Cheryl Peterson thinks that the students, staff and community that make up Sisters Christian Academy are "walking through a miracle."
Last March, it appeared that the private Christian school would have to close due to insufficient enrollment. By the end of April, the Sisters community had stepped up with donations and contributions sufficient to keep SCA operating through the current school year. Now, Peterson thinks, the school "is going to be on a roll."
As of last week, the school has 60 students enrolled, pre-K through 8th grade, and "the numbers are changing daily," Peterson said. The school had a goal to have about 65 enrolled K-8, but with some restructuring of staff, Peterson says that the school is already on more sustainable ground.
The school has changed its delivery of middle school curriculum, offering supervised online programing paired with the school's art and music offerings. There is cost-savings associated with having a mentor-teacher supervising the online work instead of a full-time middle school teacher.
That is an example of structural changes the school made to adapt to its financial challenges. SCA is also maintaining and increasing its certification for its pre-kindergarten program, Peterson said. And, she noted, SCA can accommodate students through high school, with AP/dual credit classes online.
Peterson said she also secured a grant dedicated to branding and marketing the school, a project that has been a challenge for SCA in recent years.
Financial support for SCA came from foundations, fundraisers, and individuals. Donations were large and very small - and all welcomed and appreciated.
"Somebody would come to the door and press a $20 bill in my hand," Peterson recalled. "I didn't know him from Adam."
Peterson said that support was broad-based.
"I thought people who were Christian would be the only people who stepped up, and that wasn't true," she said.
Support came from the religious community, and also from people who simply wanted to support having a small, private education option in the community, and from people who appreciate an option that applies what they see as a strong moral standard and patriotic bent.
Peterson said she has a good feel for the breadth of the support because she connected with those who offered it.
"That's how I know," she said. "I personally interacted with every dollar that came in."
Peterson and the SCA community are appreciative of the support Sisters has provided. She also emphasizes the importance of the belief that imbues the program, crediting the salvation of the school program to God.
"I tell you what: He showed up," she said. "Off the charts. Every time I thought, 'it doesn't look too good,' another check came in."
For more information visit www.sisterschristianacademy.com.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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