By Lindsay Tice,Staff Writer

WILTON – At one point, Western Maine Christian Academy had seven students, barely enough to stay open.

All classes – kindergarten through grade 12 – took place in a single building. The principal served as lead fundraiser and teacher for grades one, two and three. The school had few very young students and no graduating class.

Today, the rural Christian school boasts 31 students, a three-fold increase in three years, with some children traveling more than an hour to get there. The school now fills two buildings and will graduate its first class this spring.

Principal Cynthia Thomas isn’t sure why enrollment has boomed. Perhaps students came because other, smaller religious schools closed. Perhaps Western Maine Christian has gained some recognition in the community.

Or perhaps there’s another reason.

“God blesses it, I guess,” Thomas said.

Western Maine Christian Academy in Wilton is one of the lucky ones.

Like Maine Catholic schools, Christian school enrollment is both up and down, depending on the school, its location and local trends. Some have blossomed. Others struggle to hang on.

A few have closed.

That unpredictability is something Thomas thinks about, even as she watches her school grow. She knows she could lose 30 students just as suddenly as she gained them.

“We’ll be here as long as the Lord wants us to be,” she said. “We’ll see what happens.”

Tiny schools

In general, Christian and Catholic schools are very similar. Both cater to families that want small classes, high academic standards and lessons with a Bible influence. Both charge about $2,000 to $3,000 in tuition and often enroll new students straight from public schools or home-school situations.

Compared to Maine Catholic schools, however, Christian schools are tiny. Area Catholic schools average more than 200 students through grade 8. Local Christian schools average less than 100 students through grade 12.

In New Vineyard, Open Bible Baptist Christian School’s enrollment has hovered around 25 since it opened for the congregation’s youngsters 22 years ago.

“We’re told (by Christian curriculum representatives) that we’re not even a small school, and we have a pretty good situation here,” said Principal Herman Ellis.

Small enrollment is a major draw for parents frustrated by large classes and big public schools. They like the fact that their child will get to know everyone in school, will get a spot on the sports team or school play, will be watched over by every adult around.

“It’s more of a family,” said Teri Miess, who sends three children to Western Maine Christian Academy.

But while tiny enrollment is a benefit, it can also be a hindrance. A tiny Christian school could lose half its student body if one or two families move.

That volatility has affected several Christian schools in the region. In 2004, Eastgate Christian Academy in New Gloucester closed its high school because of low numbers. Oxford Hills Christian Academy was created in 2001 when two other Christian schools consolidated. A year-and-a-half ago, Central Maine Christian Academy in Lewiston added a day-care to boost enrollment.

Incentives

At other schools, enrollment has grown.

Fellowship Christian Academy opened in Greene last year. After a dip from 14 students to 10, it now has 20 kids.

Western Maine Christian Academy went from seven to 31 students in three years.

Vineyard Christian School, which opened in Lewiston five years ago, has gone from 30 students to 130.

“Word of mouth is the best marketing tool we have,” said Ruth Handler, director of Vineyard Christian.

Officials at those schools say parents like their emphasis on character, academics and the spiritual. But so did parents at Christian schools that eventually closed.

So what makes one school popular and another just a flash in the pan?

Experts say it’s likely a complex mix of population, economy and church growth. Even local gas prices are a factor.

“More people are struggling financially,” said Steve Holbrook, principal of Oxford Hills Christian Academy. Although his school’s $3,000 tuition rate is about average, it can quickly overwhelm a family with three or four children. “When you start talking about $10,000 for education, that’s hard.”

To draw and keep families, many Christian schools – even those that already have strong enrollment – are adding programs and incentives.

Western Maine Christian Academy gives staff and students Fridays off. Central Maine Christian Academy started an after-school program.

The Open Bible Baptist school provides foreign language, computer and high-level math classes, including trigonometry. Vineyard Christian offers sports teams, drama and music.

Fellowship Christian Academy provides free tuition for families who enroll more than three children.

School leaders don’t know if enrollment will go up. But they hope.

“I pray that it does,” said Fellowship Christian Academy Principal Tina Russell.

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