| Westminster Christian Academy | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Town and Country, MO, USA |
|
| Information | |
| Type | Private |
| Established | 1976 |
| Faculty | 73 Full Time / 5 Part Time Jim Marsh, Headmaster Dr. James Sefrit, US Principal Steve Hall, MS Principal Tim Hall, Dean of Students Scott Holley, Dean of Academics |
| Enrollment | approx. 900 |
| Colors Mascot |
Blue and white Wildcat |
| Website | http://www.wcastl.org |
Westminster Christian Academy (WCA) is a private, Christian school, and is one of the biggest Christian schools in the country. It is a 7-12 grade secondary school with its main campus located in Town and Country, St. Louis County, Missouri, United States.[1]
The school currently has an enrollment of approximately 865 students in grades 7 through 12. It is further divided into an Upper School (9-12) of approximately 611 students and a Middle School (7-8) of approximately 254 students.[2] Tuition for the 2011-2012 school year is $12,800USD regardless of grade.[3]
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Westminster Christian Academy opened on September 7, 1976 to 72 students. In the first two years, Westminster operated out of rented classrooms from Missouri Baptist University. For the first two years, Nolan Vander Ark was headmaster of the school. Before joining Westminster, Mr. Vander Ark served as a Christian Reformed Missionary in Africa.[4][5] After two years of renting space, the administration purchased a campus known as the "Des Peres School" in Kirkwood, Missouri. Once Westminster moved to the new campus, Evelyn Downs stepped up as headmistress. She remained headmistress until 1981. Four years after changing locations, the student body quadrupled. The necessity of finding space for the rapidly growing school was unavoidable. So in 1982, Westminster purchased a campus in Creve Coeur where the school is currently located. During this tumultuous time, Arlen Dykstra became headmaster and oversaw the relocation of the school. Under his guidance, the school was accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States. (ISACS).[6] In 1984, the school found itself to be without a headmaster once more. Larry Birchler, the registrar for the school, acted in the role of Headmaster until a suitable replacement could be found. In 1985, Jim Marsh became headmaster and continues to lead the Westminster community to this day.[7]
Purchased in 1984, the 30-acre (120,000 m2) Creve Coeur Campus served as the primary campus for the school until 2011.
In 1999, the school started an $11 million construction and renovation project. With the money, the school added a new gymnasium, new student commons, new senior and 8th grade hallway wings, a new weightlifting facility and locker rooms, a new bookstore, and new offices. Dubbed the "Creve Coeur Campus", the building has over 150,000 square feet (14,000 m2), a 25-yard (23 m) indoor pool, library, two gymnasiums, cafeteria, academic and administrative rooms, and outdoor sports facilities. The campus was sold to the Ladue School District for 18 million dollars. The 2010 school marked the last of its use by the school. It will be turned into an early child care facility.
In 2002, Westminster purchased the campus of the West County Vocational Technical School in Town and Country with plans to renovate the space to serve for future growth of the school. Currently, the property is being rented out to unaffiliated associations and is also used for various school activities. The school has recently announced plans to move the school to this location in the fall of 2011. Additionally, an adjacent parcel of land was purchased from Central Presbyterian Church. The purchase was made possible by a donation to Westminster by an anonymous supporter.[8] Plans are underway for a total of $50 million in renovations of the property in anticipation of the school moving to this new campus in 2011. The campus finished construction in early August 2011. The current site has made the addition of a multitude of fields for both practicing on and hosting games including 12 tennis courts, 3 gymnasiums, 1 theater that seats 1000, a black box theater, a football stadium, soccer field, 2-4 practice fields, swimming pool, and many storage facilities and lockers. Each class has their own common areas including meeting spaces for student organizations.
Westminster is strong academically—during the 1990-1991 school year, it was recognized as a Blue Ribbon School by the United States Department of Education.[9] 65% of the faculty have advanced degrees, including 6 doctorates.[10] 98% of the 2008 graduates went on to college. The school also offers a special services program to address the educational needs of those families who have students with diagnosed disabilities.[11] Westminster was the first Christian school to be accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS),[12] an accreditation which the school maintains to this day.[13] The school is also accredited by Christian Schools International.[14]
In 2005, the Academic Competition team (coached by Bob Vass) won the MSHSAA state championship.[15] In 2009, the Wildcats won their district in Varsity Football.
The student organizations and each class participate in community service projects. In addition, the seniors participate in “Faith in Action,” a program in which they serve in various help agencies throughout the St. Louis community for two hours each Thursday morning of the school year.[16]
In addition to the following sports, Westminster Christian Academy also offers Cheerleading and Dance at the Middle School and Upper School levels, as well as Hockey Cheerleading at the Upper School level.[17]
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Middle SchoolFall
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Westminster is a member of the following organizations:
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