Christian High School

This article is about the private school in O'Fallon, Missouri, US. For the secondary school in El Cajon, California, US, see Christian High School (disambiguation).
Christian High School
Location
Map
1145 Tom Ginnever

O'Fallon, Missouri

United States
Coordinates38°49′21″N 90°40′24″W / 38.82257°N 90.67335°W / 38.82257; -90.67335
Information
TypePrivate
Color(s)    Teal, black, and white
MascotEagle
WebsiteOfficial site of Veritas Christian Academy

Veritas Christian Academy, formerly Christian High School and the Christian School District, is a private Christian school in O'Fallon, Missouri, with over 660 students in grades preschool through 12.[1] Veritas Christian Academy is accredited through the Association of Christian Schools International.[2] The school mascot is the Eagle and the school colors are teal, black, and white.

History

Living Word Christian School was founded as an elementary school in Saint Peters, Missouri in St. Charles County. In 1999, homebuilder T.R. Hughes donated 20 acres (81,000 m2) of real estate to Living Word Christian School.[3] With the help of donations, work was soon completed on the 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m2) building.

In the mid- to late-2010s, Veritas Christian Academy began consolidating its elementary and secondary schools, ultimately relocating them to its main campus on Tom Ginnever Avenue. In 2019, Living Word Christian School rebranded itself as Christian School District. A few years later, in 2024, Christian School District rebranded as Veritas Christian Academy, intended to reflect its consolidation over the past decade.[4]

In 2024, Veritas Christian Academy reported an annual enrollment of 149 students in grades 9-12.[5]

Controversy

In March 2021, white faculty members of Veritas Christian Academy, costumed as Scrabble tiles, spelled a racial slur and posted the photo online.[6] Despite claims at the time by Principal Jake Ibbetson, The Independent confirmed parental reports that the image was also posted to the school's website.[7] The drew condemnation from civil rights groups, including the St. Charles County and St. Louis County branches of the NAACP.[8][9] Parents stated that at least one other race-related incident occurred the preceding fall semester.[9] It was unclear if faculty faced disciplinary action related to the racial slur incident, and several students condemned perceived patterns of racial discrimination, unaccountability, and "empower[ing] racists."[9]

Veritas Christian Academy is accredited through the Association of Christian Schools International, an organization founded in the late twentieth century as a reactionary response to increasing educational desegregation within the United States.[10][11][12]

Athletics and Extracurriculars

The Veritas Christian Academy high school is a member of the Missouri State High School Activities Association.[13] In 2024, the high school of Veritas Christian Academy reported activities in baseball, basketball, cross country, drance, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling.[14][15] The school has failed to reach the top four in any athletic program or MSHSAA activity since 2014.[16]

The school has an active music program for grades 6-12 in addition to limited offerings in visual art and theater.[17]

References

  1. ^ "Christian High School". GreatSchools.org. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  2. ^ "Find a School | Veritas Christian Academy". ACSI. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  3. ^ "Family Roots Run Deep". citylifestyle.com. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  4. ^ "Who We Are | Veritas Christian Academy". Veritas Christian Academy. 2022-05-04. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  5. ^ MSHSAA. "Missouri High School Sports and Activities". www.mshsaa.org. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  6. ^ "'I'm angry and I'm hurt' | Social media post shows 5 teachers holding up racial slur". ksdk.com. 2021-03-02. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  7. ^ Spocchia, Gino (March 5, 2021). "Missouri teachers under fire for photograph spelling out racial slur in giant letters". The Independent. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  8. ^ "'I'm angry': Teachers under fire for posting photo showing racial slur online". WSET. 2021-03-04. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  9. ^ a b c "'They failed us again': Missouri teachers hold up racial slur in social media post". FOX 2. 2021-03-04. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  10. ^ Dowland, Seth (2015). Family values and the rise of the Christian right. Politics and culture in modern America. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 978-0-8122-4760-2.
  11. ^ Merritt, Jonathan (2016-09-18). "Christian Schools With a Racist Secret". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  12. ^ Du Mez, Kristin Kobes (2021). Jesus and John Wayne: how white evangelicals corrupted a faith and fractured a nation (First published as a Liveright paperback ed.). New York, NY: Liveright Publishing Corporation. ISBN 978-1-63149-905-0.
  13. ^ MSHSAA. "Veritas Christian Academy High School MSHSAA Home Page". www.mshsaa.org. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  14. ^ "Veritas Christian Academy HS Activities". MSHSAA. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  15. ^ WKRC (2021-03-04). "Missouri teachers under fire for posting photo showing racial slur online". KHQA. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  16. ^ "Veritas Christian Academy Top 4 Finishes". MSHSAA. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  17. ^ "Arts Overview | Veritas Christian Academy". Veritas Christian Academy. 2024-03-13. Retrieved 2024-11-23.