Trinity Christian Academy
Encyclopedia
Trinity Christian Academy is a conservative multidenominational Christian
school
in Addison
, Texas
, a suburb of Dallas
that was founded in the late 1960s. It is one of the largest Christian schools in the United States and is notable for controversially expelling a gay student in 2005.
was expelled for his "immoral behavior and [for] supporting an immoral cause" after a fellow student informed the school. This was Trinity's description of Barnett's gay orientation in addition to the fact that he was running the gay-themed website my-boi.com, a social network he created for gay youth.
Tuition varies from $10,800 for Kindergarten
($6,850 for half day) to $15,850 for 12th grade.
In addition to traditional subjects, visual arts, drama, band, choir are also available as fine arts courses.
There are 132 faculty, and the financial budget is $US 16,000,000; the school is debt-free. The community enjoys an over 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) campus
The school maintains a diversity program and non-discrimination policy to include all kinds of students regardless of their origin, as long as they are a "believer". The protected groups are: national origin, race, color, ethnicity, culture, economic status, and physical ability. This policy does not however protect or encourage students of different religions or sexual orientations, which has led to controversy.
Of the 1,523 students, 553 are in the lower school or elementary school, while 481 are in middle school and 489 in the upper school which is the high school equivalent.
6.8% of students receive financial aid which total 900,000 US$ in awards annually.
The school claims that 100% of graduates attend college. The school is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
.
(TAPPS) league, in the largest classification level of 6A, where it won state championships in 2006 for both varsity baseball and wrestling, and placed 2nd in football. On November 10, 2007, the TCA girls volleyball team returned to the TAPPS class 6A state title game and came away with a 3-1 victory.
The football stadium is named after famed football coach, Tom Landry
, due to his extensive involvement with the school.
Texas°N date=July 2009°W
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
in Addison
Addison, Texas
Addison is a city in Dallas County, Texas . The population was 14,166 at the 2000 census, and 15,737 according to a 2009 estimate. Addison is a northern suburb of Dallas...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, a suburb of Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
that was founded in the late 1960s. It is one of the largest Christian schools in the United States and is notable for controversially expelling a gay student in 2005.
History
In 1968 planning for the school was took place by concerned parents seeking a better education for their children. According to school history there was a strong desire for a combination of rigorous academic and religious indoctrination. The parents therefore rented a church facility to begin the school. The space opened to eighty students in 1970. However the space became too small and in 1976 a new school was built among sorghum fields in rural Addison. At the time this area was lacking in water and sewage lines and only had a few homes. Since that time the area has become heavily urbanized and today the school attracts over 1,500 students from twenty-seven jurisdictions in the surrounding Dallas metropolitan area. The school reports that its alums identify with fourteen different "denominations and religious groups".James Barnett gay rights controversy
In 2005 the school received national media attention when the administration controversially expelled a student for his sexual orientation. James BarnettJames Barnett
James Barnett is an American entrepreneur and community activist from Dallas, Texas. At 17, he created a social networking site for gay teens and young adults called My-Boi.Com, which resulted in his father moving him from his Christian high school and his outing to his parents...
was expelled for his "immoral behavior and [for] supporting an immoral cause" after a fellow student informed the school. This was Trinity's description of Barnett's gay orientation in addition to the fact that he was running the gay-themed website my-boi.com, a social network he created for gay youth.
Curriculum and policy
According to the schools mission statement it aims to provide an education that is independent, academically rigorous, and strongly Christian oriented.Tuition varies from $10,800 for Kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
($6,850 for half day) to $15,850 for 12th grade.
In addition to traditional subjects, visual arts, drama, band, choir are also available as fine arts courses.
There are 132 faculty, and the financial budget is $US 16,000,000; the school is debt-free. The community enjoys an over 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) campus
The school maintains a diversity program and non-discrimination policy to include all kinds of students regardless of their origin, as long as they are a "believer". The protected groups are: national origin, race, color, ethnicity, culture, economic status, and physical ability. This policy does not however protect or encourage students of different religions or sexual orientations, which has led to controversy.
Campus and student body
In 2007, the school started a capital campaign to build a performing arts center and a new athletics complex, which is now completed.Of the 1,523 students, 553 are in the lower school or elementary school, while 481 are in middle school and 489 in the upper school which is the high school equivalent.
6.8% of students receive financial aid which total 900,000 US$ in awards annually.
The school claims that 100% of graduates attend college. The school is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
.
Athletics
There are 13 sports played and 54 athletic teams. The school competes with other private and parochial schools in the Texas Association of Private and Parochial SchoolsTexas Association of Private and Parochial Schools
The Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools, or TAPPS, is an organization headquartered in Salado, Texas which creates rules for, and sometimes administers, almost all athletic and academic contests for non-public high schools in the American state of Texas...
(TAPPS) league, in the largest classification level of 6A, where it won state championships in 2006 for both varsity baseball and wrestling, and placed 2nd in football. On November 10, 2007, the TCA girls volleyball team returned to the TAPPS class 6A state title game and came away with a 3-1 victory.
The football stadium is named after famed football coach, Tom Landry
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry was an American football player and coach. He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in National Football League history, creating many new formations and methods...
, due to his extensive involvement with the school.
Notable alumni
- James BarnettJames BarnettJames Barnett is an American entrepreneur and community activist from Dallas, Texas. At 17, he created a social networking site for gay teens and young adults called My-Boi.Com, which resulted in his father moving him from his Christian high school and his outing to his parents...
- entrepreneur, founder of my-boi.com expelled for creating it and for being gay - David PurceyDavid PurceyDavid Kent Purcey is a left-handed pitcher in professional baseball.-Amateur career:Purcey attended high school at Trinity Christian Academy in Addison, Texas, and then attended the University of Oklahoma, where he played for the Sooners baseball team.-Professional career:Purcey originally was...
- Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player for the Toronto Blue JaysToronto Blue JaysThe Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
External links
- Trinity Christian Academy official website
Texas°N date=July 2009°W