Enrollment & Information.
Prospective Student and Parent,
Thank you for your interest in ACS. Our website was designed to provide you with the best information and forms for your consideration of our school. Here are a few important facts you should know about our school before applying for admission. The information provided on this page should answer any questions or concerns you may have.
1. ACS is not just another private school. It is, first and foremost, a Christian school, owned and operated by the Palm Springs Drive Baptist Church, an independent, non-charismatic, fundamental, missionary church affiliated with the Baptist Bible Fellowship International. Our purpose is to serve Christian families with a school that is as Christian as possible in terms of curriculum, Biblical instruction of the cardinal doctrines, staff, and student fellowship. In other words, we exist as an extension of the Christian home to provide an environment more closely sharing the values of conservative, fundamental Christian parents than would be the case in other private or public schools. Despite what we feel is an excellent academic program, if you are considering placing your child in ACS for this or any other reason than the Bible-centered, Christian emphasis, you will probably be making a mistake.
2. Though ACS is a Christian ministry, it is a very specific organization, and this is, a school. All new students applying for admission are screened through various means. We review academic records and previous achievement test scores. Students entering grades 1-12 are also given an entrance exam to determine if they are ready for the demands of our curriculum. We are a traditional school focused on preparing our students to continue their education beyond high school. We do not provide specialized instruction and therefore, students with an I.Q. of less than 85 cannot be accepted into our program. Students entering first through twelfth grades are required to have a recommendation from their previous school. By the very nature of our operation, we are not a behavioral problem/drug/alcohol rehab center, military academy, or reform school. We function as a small, Christian, traditional school, geared to serving the basic spiritual, social, and academic needs of Christian young people and are not, as a result, equipped to deal with "problem" students. Only a brief period of tolerance and patience will be afforded the student (or parent, for that matter) who has "difficulty" with the Statement of Cooperation he has signed and who begins, at the outset, to manifest poor behavior or a poor attitude.
3. We are fully accredited by the Florida Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (FACCS). Our teachers are academically qualified and most are certified by FACCS and/or the State of Florida.
4. ACS stresses academic excellence and is a College Preparatory School. We use primarily the A BEKA curriculum for grades K4-6, published by Pensacola Christian College, an established, nationally recognized model and publisher for Christian education. Our secondary curriculum is a carefully selected synthesis of the best materials available for Christian schools (primarily from A BEKA and BOB JONES UNIVERSITY PRESS). It treats the more sensitive subject areas of the social and natural sciences (history, biology, physical and earth sciences, for example) from a distinctively Christian perspective. ACS is totally committed to the Biblical worldview and Judeo-Christian ethic as opposed to secular and religious humanism; to creationism as opposed to evolution, etc. Though our curriculum is advanced chronologically (especially in the earlier grades), it is nonetheless geared to those of average as well as above-average intelligence and is not an advanced curriculum in the sense of a program for honor students only. It is our belief, therefore, that any student of average intelligence and who is not below grade level at the time of application can successfully do at least average work if adequate effort is applied in both class work and homework.
5. The basic requirements for admission include evidence of a Christian home (parents and/or student), agreement with the school"s philosophy and indication of cooperation, on the part of both student AND parent, with the school"s policies and authority relative to such policies, and evidence of past behavior and academic performance that would suggest a student"s success in these areas at ACS.
6. In February of each year our current families are given the opportunity to re-enroll for the next school year. Following this designated period, we open enrollment for new families, going first to the completed applications on file (the forms mentioned below with the requested records) to fill those vacancies. You will find informational forms throughout the following paragraphs.
A. After reading this letter, fill out the enclosed (1)APPLICATION FORM completely (answering ALL questions) and submit to the school office with necessary attachments. Attach a copy of the student"s most recent report card, results of the most recent achievement test or FCAT, and a copy of the IEP, if applicable (required for McKay Scholarship students). High school students will need to submit a copy of their official transcript showing credits earned. Students entering grades 6-12 should complete the (2)SPIRITUAL ASSESSMENT FORM (a student self-analysis) to be submitted with the application. You may request this form from the school office. The (3)RECOMMENDATION FORM should be given to the student"s current school. No money is due at this time.
B. You will be notified when there is a vacancy for your child and a testing date will be assigned as necessary. When testing is completed, the results will be discussed and a determination will be made regarding the acceptance of the student. (The RECOMMENDATION FORM must have been received in order to proceed.) If everything looks favorable, you will have ten days to make your decision. During this time you should do the following.
1. Pick up a copy of the PARENT-STUDENT HANDBOOK and a (4) PARENT STATEMENT OF COOPERATION FORM as well as the STUDENT STATEMENT OF COOPERATION FORM to be completed and submitted to the school office after reading the handbook completely.
2. You may tour our facility if you haven"t already, observe a class and talk to a teacher (if school is in session), or meet the administrator to answer any further questions you may have.
3. If you decide to enroll, you will need to pay the ENROLLMENT FEE within this time to reserve a place for your child. The BOOK RENTAL FEE is due June 1, and the MATERIALS/FACILITIES FEE is due July 1. These fees are non-refundable (unless parents are involuntarily transferred out of the area), therefore, we want you to be sure ACS is the school for your family.
C. If there is not a vacancy for your child, your name will be placed on a waiting list and priority will be given to those meeting school standards and expectations, those transferring from another Christian school of like faith and curriculum, and on the basis of the date when application was submitted to our office.
D. You will receive verification by mail or telephone when the enrollment process is complete and the student" s acceptance has been finalized.
7. Good behavior and conservative, non-attention getting personal appearance are expected of all students. Our rules and standards, though very much middle-of-the-road among Christian schools, are nonetheless more demanding compared to most public schools. We expect our students to be cooperative and respectful to authority and to each other, to refrain from intimate physical contact with members of the opposite sex, to do their homework, to attend all classes and be punctual. Students are to refrain from offensive language, the use of tobacco, alcohol and drugs, sexual impropriety, reading or viewing materials of an immoral or carnal nature (including their use of the Internet), offensive music (rock, songs or rap with anti-Christian lyrics), and any criminal activity. Students are required to wear uniforms at school except for designated casual activities where a defined dress code can be worn. Boys observe a conservative hair code, above the collar, ears, and eyebrows, and not extreme or faddish in nature.
Please do not hesitate to contact our office if you need further assistance in the enrollment process. We look forward to hearing from you.
Tuition and Rate Schedule
2008-2009 Tuition & Rate Schedule packets are now available in PDF Format.Click Here for Rate Schedule.
AfterCare
The following fees are non-refundable.
AfterCare is available from 3:00-6:00pm, Monday through Friday, when school is in session. Students must be enrolled for this program through the school office. Fees for this service are paid WEEKLY and should not be included with your tuition check. You pay only for the days this service is used.
K5 - 5th Grade 3:00pm Dismissal Days Noon Dismissal Day
One Child Enrolled: $7.00/day $12.00
Two Enrolled: $12.00/day $17.00
Three Enrolled: $16.00/day $22.00
An additional fee is applied when students are not picked up by 6:00pm. An additional fee is also added on early dismissal days when students are in the program from noon.
AfterCare can be contacted by calling (407) 592-8972 and is only available during the School Year!