By Michael V. Hannigan
Athens Christian Preparatory Academy is finally home. It was a long way with a number of property inspections to make sure the building is in proper condition. Schedule your pre-purchase property inspection with YourBuildingInspector.com.au whenever you plan to buy new property. This is the best way to know what you are buying exactly.
Last week, area reporters were invited to tour the 5-year-old ACPA’s new 49-acre property and to speak with Headmistress Theresa DeMay. As always, she was a whirlwind of activity, directing traffic as the move in continued while answering questions from three reporters. (You can read the story by the Review’s Kathi Nailing here.)
The new campus — formerly a horse ranch on State Highway 175 — is a work in progress. Eight portable buildings are being installed for classrooms and plenty of work remains before the first day of school.
“It will come down to the wire, but we plan to start school on Aug. 26,” DeMay said.
Knowing the headmistress the way I do I have no doubt.
I still remember meeting DeMay for the first time. It was in July 2010, and I was interviewing her for a story about ACPA. I had just recently heard about the school and learned that students in my coverage area (Malakoff) were attending. I wanted to know more, so I went to talk to DeMay.
What I found was a high school that was about to start just its third year, but was already moving toward accreditation. In fact, accreditation came a year faster than usual for ACPA.
I learned that sort of thing is normal around DeMay and ACPA … I experienced it when she somehow convinced me to help teach a class in journalism that year, giving me a front row seat to watch the ACPA process.
What I remember most from my first meeting with the headmistress was her description of the school: college prep meets arts magnet, all with a non denominational Christian worldview.
The strategy works and all but two of the school’s graduates have gone on to college.
The one thing school didn’t have, however, was a permanent home … For its first four years it hopped between churches. So finally finding a landing place is huge for ACPA.
“It was a God thing for us,” DeMay said.
Today ACPA serves students grades 7 through 12, and although the ACPA campus is more potential than reality, the potential is incredible. Everything from an equestrian team to a green engineering program is in the plans, and the headmistress hopes to have the first two permanent classroom buildings done in two years.
I certainly won’t be the one telling her it can’t be done, not with what I have seen.
But ACPA cannot do it alone. The school is looking for donors to help with the building program and sponsors to help provide scholarships for students.
Anyone wishing to help, or who are interested in sending their children to ACPA, can contact DeMay at [email protected] or 903-386-0400.
