Central Academy at Lake Park in Union Co. to close

Central Academy at Lake Park will close at the end of the school year – when its eight seniors graduate.

Greg Baker, chairman of the board of trustees that governs the private Christian school, said Central Church of God made the decision to close the school because it was not financially self-sustaining. He said the school has been part of the church’s outreach ministry for eight years.

“Education is expensive,” he said.

Baker said students and their families were notified of plans to close the school when they returned after winter break, giving them time to apply to other private schools for next school year. He said he’s heard that is what most of the academy’s students plan to do.

Baker, an assistant pastor for the Charlotte-based church, said the school tried to keep tuition affordable and attractive to parents and students, while offering high-quality programs and retaining teachers.

The school’s website lists annual tuition ranging from $5,575 to $7,900.

According to figures provided by the N.C. Department of Administration, the K-12 academy reported 130 students and 30 staff members as of Oct. 26. Last year, it had 152 students and 25 staff members.

Baker said the church plans to continue holding Sunday services, Wednesday Bible studies and other programs on the Lake Park campus. He said several hundred people attend Sunday services at that campus, where they get live music and video sermons. The church also holds Sunday services at satellite locations in Gastonia and Wilmington.

The private Christian school opened in 1997 as Lake Park Academy, with 17 students in grades K-5 and four employees. It changed its name to Lake Park Christian Academy in 2002, and became Central Academy at Lake Park in 2008.

Baker said Central Church of God purchased the school’s Lake Park campus about eight years ago to accommodate a growing church community with Union County ties.

It was their intention, he said, to continue the legacy of Lake Park developer Chris Mathisen, who started the school with the help of Dr. William Kamm, the school’s first administrator.

Now a professor at Lee University in Tennessee, Kamm recalled that Mathisen wanted to have a school in the planned community and originally offered the land to the public school system. That offer was declined – either because the space was insufficient, or because there wasn’t a need at that time, Kamm said.

“It was a great experience, building a school from scratch,” Kamm said.

He said he and others at the school worked hard to get the school dual accreditation, “which said a lot of the vitality and academic rigor. We were making good strides there.”

Central Church of God on Sardis Road in Charlotte bought it after he left, and he hadn’t kept up with changes. Kamm said he was surprised to learn that the academy is closing.

“It saddens me,” he said when reached by phone. “This is the first I’ve heard.”

This story was originally published January 8, 2016 at 7:01 PM with the headline "Central Academy at Lake Park in Union Co. to close."