University Christian School
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
University Christian School is a private school that was founded in 1990 as a ministry of Park Place Baptist Church in Brandon, Mississippi. Classes were originally taught at the church before the school separated from the church and began operations at a two-building physical plant on Luckney Drive (just off Lakeland Drive) in Flowood, Mississippi. The school is commonly referred to by locals as UCS.
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[edit] Accreditation
University Christian School is accredited by the Mississippi Private School Association. The school is currently seeking full accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, a step that is very important to the growth of the school.
[edit] Mission Statement
Our purpose is to prepare young men and women to go into the world by providing an environment that enables all students to achieve a level of personal, academic and athletic excellence while growing in their Christian faith and values.
[edit] Spiritual Growth
University Christian School educates the whole child by providing an excellent academic foundation based on biblical truths. We offer classroom devotions, chapel programs and Spiritual Emphasis Week. Our goal is for our young people to know Jesus Christ personally as their Lord and Savior.
[edit] Enrollment
UCS boasts an enrollment of 344 students from K-12. The student-teacher ratio is 14:1, among the lowest in the Jackson Metropolitan Area.
[edit] Academics
According to the school's handbook, UCS provides accredited, quality education in a Christian atmosphere. UCS is an independent, co-education, college preparatory school committed to the pursuit of excellence in education for students from K3 - 12th grades. UCS enrolls students who exhibit high standards of character and conduct as well as having the capability of achieving success in a rigorous academic program. UCS students rate well above the national average in areas of standardized testing.
[edit] Athletics
UCS competes in Class A competition as a member of the Mississippi Private School Association. The school's colors are orange and blue (a look similar to the University of Florida) and the school's nickname is the Flames.
The school's athletic offerings include football, boy's and girl's basketball, cross country, softball, swimming, soccer, golf, tennis, track and field and baseball. The Flames have enjoyed moderate success as an athletic program, regularly participating in post-season competition.
[edit] Criticism and Exodus
UCS has had its share of criticism over the years. Earlier in the decade, a group of parents publicly criticized the school's financial and academic practices, as well as its dedication to Christian values. These parents felt that the school was not properly spending funds, and the school was suffering. It was also widely believed that the school was not preparing its students for college, as it was reported that many of its graduates were struggling, even dropping out of colleges. It was also concerning that the school was becoming a de facto reform school for Rankin County, where students who faced expulsion from other private schools and public schools were allowed to continue their education. These students are widely speculated to have contributed to the school's above-average drug problem.
These events also led to a mass exoduus of families from the school, which has helped nearby East Rankin Academy triple its student enrollment since 2000. Additionally, nearby Pinelake Church has begun a Christian education program, and the school is among the fastest growing in the state, reporting an enrollment of 340 in grades K-6. The school is looking to add a high school in future years. Park Place Baptist Church, the church from which UCS was derived from, has re-started a school and enrolls 180 students in grades K-4.
The growth of East Rankin Academy, combined with the creation of two new Christian schools in the area, has had an impact (both declining enrollment and financial) on UCS. Although the school has a declining enrollment, high faculty turnover, and has not secured SACS accredidation, UCS has increased its tuition to be on par with larger, accredited schools in the Jackson area such as Hillcrest Christian School and Madison-Ridgeland Academy.
