Students performed in the annual spring show

Terrell Christian Academy students, dressed in bright T-shirts, took the stage Thursday night for their annual spring show. The students happily recited Scripture and sang about their “potentiality.”

Parents weren’t quite so pleased. They know that may have been the last student show for the 24-year-old school.

Low enrollment has put the school in a financial bind and administrator Keith Honey said it needs at least $150,000 to open the doors next year.

“In terms of the financial bottom line, we are going to be forced to close,” he said.

He said the decision will be made May 1, but parents have called another meeting to try and save the school for May 3.

It would take about $150,000 to keep the elementary school open. Keeping secondary grades would be even harder. Some of the secondary students are homeschooled and attend only part time and pay partial tuition, further limiting the school’s income.

To keep all grades operating would be about $300,000.

The school thrived until about four years ago, Mr. Honey said. Enrollment had been steady at about 220 students and the school based its budget on that number.

Then it suddenly dropped to 182. Some said it was the economy; others said too many students wanted the athletic opportunities at public school. Whatever, the school was in such financial trouble that teachers had to be laid off.

Then the number of students plummeted. “When people know of a pending financial crisis, it unzippers in a hurry. People start going.”

Enrollment bottomed out at about 50 and then rose to 73 this year.

“We thought we’d turned a corner,” Mr. Honey said.

But that’s about half the number the school needs to stay open. So after casting around for financial help, officials told parents last week that it was likely the school would close.

The students are as upset as the parents.

“It’s so heartwarming. We’ve had kids coming around. They’ve started their own petitions to keep the school open,” Mr. Honey.

Parents at the spring show were talking among themselves about the crisis and where they might send their children next year.

None wanted to speak publicly about the likely closing.

But many repeated the same phrase: “We’re just praying for a miracle from almighty God.”

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