Campus Expansion Survey, Q & A: Round 1

Dear Parents and Friends of CCS,

In this issue of Parent News, I want to begin to provide answers to questions that have emerged from the Campus Expansion Survey. A special thank you to those who took the time to answer the questions.

To keep things organized, we will split our responses into four Rounds, after which all of the responses will be gathered on the school website in an FAQ.

Round 1: The GCE Podcast, airing the week of May 4 via all major streaming platforms, CCS social media, etc. (Below you will find a concise overview of the questions and answers covered in this Round 1 Episode. A transcript will be available on May 4.)

Round 2: The GCE Podcast, airing the week of May 11

Round 3: The State of the School Gathering at 6:30 on May 12

Round 4: The GCE Podcast, with our guest Daniel Hautamaki, CCS Board Chair.

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Round 1

(For deeper answers and more details, please subscribe to the Gospel Centered Education Podcast.)

“Covenantal“ Model 

Question: Will CCS remain committed to the Covenantal Model for Christian schooling into the future?

Answer: Yes. The Covenantal Model has been our model since 1977, and there are no plans to change that. It will continue to define the school community going forward into the foreseeable future.

We have created a number of programs and frameworks at CCS to support this, as well as making annual updates to the questions we ask in the Admissions screening process.

The Covenantal Model is built on the assumption that the school and at least one parent who is a demonstrated disciple of Jesus will enter into a covenant, or solemn agreement. 

Both parties agree to willingly cooperate to educate their children in the ways and knowledge of the Gospel of the Kingdom (the rule and reign of Jesus Christ, both now and in the future). (see Matt. 5). 

God’s Kingdom operates with different perspectives and rules than does the dominant culture.

Security

Question: How will CCS prioritize and improve campus security?

Answer: Security is our number one operational priority. We will continue to work in cooperation with our law enforcement partners to make the campus more secure. 

We are building on our already robust threat response profile and creating a plan for updating our Emergency Response policies, Rapid Response Team (RRT), camera/video systems, and lighting.

We have fully committed to building a perimeter security fence, we have a plan in hand, and are soliciting bids. Construction will begin as soon as feasible.

We are bringing a thorough update to our response protocols and other infrastructure, in consultation with TPD, State law enforcement officials, Leon County Schools Safety, Security, and Emergency Management, Corbin Systems, Talon Security, and other law enforcement agencies.

Northeast Presence

Question: Will CCS remain in the NE quadrant of Tallahassee?

Answer: Yes, unless God providentially and clearly directs us elsewhere. Our vision is to be the school of choice in Northeast Tallahassee. Growth in NE Tallahassee is projected to be 8-10K families over the next three years. ~80% of our families live in the NE quadrant.

Enrollment/Size

Question: Will CCS keep growing forever?

Answer: We have no plans to grow beyond 500-600 students, PK-12.

Growth for growth’s sake is not our goal; our desire is to minister to as many qualified families as God sends us, those who desire a truly gospel-centered education. 

FYI: The current CCS average class size (ACS) is 15 students.

Primary ACS = 14

Elementary ACS  = 14

Secondary ACS = 16 (a couple of classes are over twenty)

Having a true mid-size program would allow us to employ economies of scale, which translates into more options for academics and extracurricular programs, as well as more resources to hire, train, and retain A-level personnel. At the same time, we are committed to strong exercising of Biblical stewardship of our resources.

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I understand that for some, these answers may simply engender more questions. 

It’s my prayer and hope that our layered approach to providing answers will, over time, paint a clear picture of the realities that make CCS who we are, as well as where we hope to go in the Lord’s perfect timing and provision.

For CCS and the Kingdom,

Tom