By LAUREN EAGLE-DEIHL
The Progress
Mesquite Christian Academy (MCA) was founded to provide parents, guardians, and students a viable alternative to public school education. Established in 2018, the school has been operating at 70 Yucca Street in Mesquite ever since.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March last year, the school briefly adapted to an online learning environment. But due to their small size, the school was able to open its doors on time to regular in-person education in August of 2020.
The school now takes a number of ongoing health precautions. Temperatures are taken each morning before school begins. And children are sent home at the slightest sign of illness.
The school hasn’t had to shut down due to COVID outbreaks. But they have closed early for both Thanksgiving break and Christmas break. This was done as a precaution when it was feared that a student or parent had become ill. Neither shut-down was due to an outbreak, but rather as a precaution.
Since MCA is open for in-person education and offers an alternative to public schooling, the school has seen quite a few new enrollments for the 2020-21 school year. They even had to turn some applicants away this year because class sizes are capped with occupancy limits in their current location.
Due to the influx of new students, the school administration is already searching for the a larger location that will accommodate more classrooms, a larger class size, or a combination of both.
According to Mesquite Christian Academy principal, Greg Page, the school was “bursting at the seams” earlier this year before a few students left due to the family moving out of the area. Since then, the administration has been searching for alternatives to house the quickly growing school.
Mesquite Christian Academy is different than public schools for several reasons. Class sizes are quite small. Classes are currently taught on approximately a 1 to 8 teacher-to-student ratio. This ensures that each student receives one-on-one attention and guidance.
Another difference is in the type of education received at the school. The MCA teaches from a classical Christian perspective. While the school won’t turn away students from non-religious backgrounds, or non-Christian backgrounds, parents are informed about the basis of the curriculum.
When saying things like ‘classical’ people can also be misguided. According to MCA’s founder, President, and Chair Master of the Board, Jeffrey Bird, classical education doesn’t mean doing things the old way for the sake of being ‘old-fashioned’. Rather it is teaching foundational elements of education in ways that have been proven to work.
The school teaches Language focusing on logic, grammar, and rhetoric as well as Mathematics with a rule-based system of learning leading to abstract thought-based studies. History and liberal arts are also a focus. According to the school’s founder, classical education “teaches students to develop critical thinking skills as well as become well-rounded citizens equipped to better our world.”
Although they have limited room for students, the school is accepting applications for enrollment for the 2021-2022 school year. If you have questions or want to pick up an enrollment packet, feel free to call the school at (702) 613-5863.
