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(Int lieMay 1991 issue of The Counsel o Chalcedon we published an art icle by Rev. T.MarkDuncanentitled, ominiqn Through Education which detailed the philosophy of education and goals of Westtninster Christian Academy in Opelousas, LA. Thisa rticl eisa follow -up to that one and appeare d rece ntly in The Opelousas Daily News written by staff writerRonDel homme. We thought you would be encouraged to hear about the success of this particular endeavor and encourage you to write us and let us know about similar successes in your community -The Edito r) A 75 percent growth in the last three years combined with phenomenal test scores attest to the success of Westminster Christian Academy, now one of the three largest Christian schools in Louisiana. Headmaster Mark Stout says that Westminster's success is a result of a reliance on God, an insistence on excellence and service to the community. These old-fashioned vinues are as fre sh at Wes ttnins teras the wildfl owe rs that grow in the fields surr oundi ng its campus. Three years ago, 45 students were enrolled in high school there, Stout said. This year, there will be 145.There were 25 in last year's graduating clas s. The rapid growth of Westminster in recent years doesn' t surprise Stout. The reasons, in fact, are very clear to him. We're commit ted to exc elle nce in everything we do: he said. Being a Christian school, we want to honor Jesus Christ in everything-in academics,athleticsandinourspititual program. The teachers and staff at Westminst er ar e dedicated people who see theirrole asa ministry, notasajob Stout said. a result, they are willing to go the extra mile for less pay than the public schools: he said, adding that about 70 percent of them have their master's degrees. And also as a result, Stout said, God's blessing has been upon Westminster. That, of course, is the most imponant reason for the resounding growth. Another reason for Westtninster's success is the effons the school has made to reach out and minister to the community through the Jesns Cares program which provides food, clothing and toys to the needy of the area, and through Workathon Projects, during which Westtninster students will be seen piclting up lit ter along th e highwa ys, doing clean-up and fix-up work for elderly and handicapped families, and generally giving back to the community. 24 THE COUNSEL o f Chalcedon September 992 We teach volunteerism, Stout says, and a member of his family is shOwing how. Stout's 15 year-o d son, Micah, isa missionary in the Ukr aine this snmmer, helping to bui ld a training camp along the Black Sea for Rus sia n youn gste rs to learn how to minister to others. Pinally, there is a demand for what Westtnin ster has been offerin g since it was founded in 1978, Stout said. Thisis a pla ce whe re pare nts know their children are safe where they know they will get a qUality education and where they will develop moral fiber with a Biblical base to it, Stout said. Enrollment at the three campuses is expected to top 750 studen ts when school stans in August, Stout said. About 550 will be at the main pre-K through 12th grade campus in Opelousas, with the rest at the Ville Platte an d Laf aye tte campus es. This represents an increas e of 100 st udents over last year. Westtninster is proud of its Talent Development Pro gra m, nowbegi nnin g its second year, which ministers to and educates children with attention deficit disorder, dysleida and other learning disab ilitie s. About 35 stud ents are enroll ed in the progr am, which has a 10:1 pupil-teacher ratio. The test scores at Westmin ster are the envy of the state, with 7th graders scoring at post highschoollevels. Even 5 year-olds after two years at Westminster, test above the 90th percentile, which means they are scoring better than 90 percent of the students in the nation who take the same test. Our seniors' average ACT score is 25, Stout said. The average in Louisiana is 19. WCA, continued on page 28
