(UPDATED 09/04/08: Tips on financing a Christian school.)

For many parents, the idea of giving their child a Christian education is an unattainable dream: Tuition is too expensive. The ideal school is too far away. We simply don’t feel familiar enough with the church providing it. When you start hearing these grievances echoed by parents in your congregation, it might be time to start your own school.

Among the most notable experts in the field of Christian school development is the Rev. Dr. Douglas B. Mills, principal of Covenant Christian School in Sevierville, Tenn. When Mills and his wife began their adventure into church-based education in 1991, there were no Christian schools in their small Tennessee community.

“Our initial idea was to home-school our children,” Mills says, “but as a minister, there was another family to consider: the church family.”

Still, while Mills knew he had a great idea, he questioned if adequate resources were available. Nevertheless, he and his wife took the plunge shortly after their first conversation on the topic. Little more than a decade later, their school serves children in preschool through 12th grade, employs a staff of 20, operates in a new building, and boasts an enrollment waiting list.

The reverend used his experience to write a helpful 22-page brochure, Starting a Christian School: Exploring the Benefits, for Chandler, Ariz.- based Alpha Omega Publications (available for download at www.aop.com). The bottom line, he says, is that it can be done.

Welcome a Board!

Patch Blakey, executive director of the Association of Classical and Christian Schools in Moscow, Idaho, recommends forming a starting committee first. Ideally, he says, this would consist of three to four people — preferably, interested parents and pastors — who agree to meet regularly for prayer, study and discussion. A good portion of the committee’s time should be spent reading the same selected resource materials to help them formulate a common vision of what their Christian school should be, Blakey says.

Next comes the creation of promotional literature. Most importantly, these materials should clearly articulate the school’s vision. “Don’t water it down for public consumption either,” Blakey warns. “You want to attract those who will be in general agreement with what you want to do.”

A Money Issue?

Mills says while money is the first issue addressed by many churches, having an abundance of it isn’t always necessary. This is especially true if your church can use existing buildings or Sunday school classrooms to hold classes, and if people are willing to offer their time and talents to teach, administrate and run the school.

Paul Richter, creator of ChristianSchools.com, says it generally costs about $5,000 per grade level to set up a classroom. “Of course, I’ve seen some churches beg, borrow and pray all the equipment and supplies in the school for much less,” he points out. “You don’t need new desks to have a great school.”

Projecting student enrollment is another way to generate funds, say the Christian education experts at Bob Jones University Press (www.bjup.com). Often times, this is done with pre-enrollment, which generates funds to help determine the number of teachers and staff members your church can afford at the start.

Richter says it takes about 11 student per class for a school to operate in the black: eight to pay the teacher’s salary, two to pay for general operating costs, and one to cover any other expenses. “This is a very general guideline and depends upon many factors, but if you don’t have an average of this many students per grade, it’s best to start combining classes or not to start with as many grade levels,” Richter explains. “It’s not wise to place the financial burden of the school on the backs of teachers.”

Tuition. While no set formula exists to guide you in the process of setting tuition, Mills recommends establishing costs commensurate with what parents in the surrounding area can afford. One way to do this is by investigating what other area Christian schools charge.

Richter takes this last piece of advice even further. “It’s a good idea for a church to find another school somewhere in the United States that looks just like the school they want to operate, then study their financial statements,” he advises. “Setting the right tuition is very important since it’s hard to go back and make corrections later.”

Grade levels. Many schools start with one grade and work their way up one grade level each year. Others start with an entire elementary or complete K-12 program.

Mills took the latter approach because it meant his school could enroll children in any grade level from the beginning. “Rather than telling parents with older children they’d have to wait a few years, we were able to accept them at any age,” he explains.

But don’t worry if the number of students enrolled at the beginning is less than stellar, Mills adds. He began with six students, one of whom was his own child. Two of the other students belonged to his school’s first teacher, who volunteered her time and expertise in exchange for tuition...