6 February 2023
WELLINGTON, Kan. (KSNW) — Wellington Christian Academy (WCA) is fighting to keep its doors open after being hit hard by inflation.
President and Founder Bill Meredith sent a notice to parents about a month ago that the school would be closing at the end of the school year. It said, “Spiraling inflationary costs have made it prohibitive to operate the school at the level both the students and teachers deserve. But, parents, staff and community members are doing everything they can to keep the doors open.
“It’s kind of an ‘aha’ moment that, oh my goodness, what next for our kids,” Pastor and Community Member Zane Brooks said.
Brooks says there is a lot of uncertainty.
“It was tough news,” WCA principal John Showman said.
Showman and Brooks say they’ll need about $600,000 to keep the school open next year.
“Especially the economy that we have…that’s kind of the reason why we’re in the shape that we’re in,” Brooks said. “Because inflation has went up. To do anything, to buy anything, electricity, utilities, insurance, everything’s went up.”
They’re looking into all kinds of options, from fundraisers to increasing enrollment.
“Those that have been associated with the school that are working on committees to try to find a way to raise some money to bridge the gap between what tuition is and then what the actual cost of the school is,” Showman said.
For the last 20 years, founder Bill Meredith and his wife have been the primary benefactors of WCA.
“It’s come a long way from those days, but, unfortunately, probably understand that our economy is a different environment,” Brooks said. “Now, the inflation has really gone up, and he’s gotten older and to the place that he’s not able to do that as well as he liked to.”
Brooks and Showman say they, along with many others in the community, are giving every effort they can to continue Meredith’s dream – one that has become their own.
“I think that we’ll make this happen,” Brooks said. “We’ll make it happen in some kind of capacity. But we’ll need the prayers and the support of our community. Maybe even people outside of our community.”