Years in the Making

Background

Covenant Love Community Church (CLC) began operating a K-8 grade school in 1974 as a ministry of the church. For the first 20 years, the school (CLCS) primarily served the families in the church but by the early 2000’s, the student population began to shift to serve students from many congregations in the community.

Exploratory Committee: 2012 – 2014

In 2012, the CLC elders authorized the formation of an Exploratory Committee to research the feasibility of forming a community based Christian school in place of CLCS. This committee included representatives from six separate local churches. An outside research group (Charter Oak) was hired to conduct local focus groups and surveys. The final report, delivered in May 2014 concluded that there was sufficient interest in pursuing an independent community based Christian school.

A New Vision Forms: 2014 – 2016

With an initial vision towards locating the new school within the Ithaca School District, a variety of potential spaces were researched, but none proved to be viable. Then, in March of 2016, Dr. Walter Poleman (UVM Environmental Science Researcher) was visiting CLC Church and saw the sizable wetlands present on the CLC property. He proposed that the new school leverage the concepts of “Place-Based Education” (David Sobel, 2004). By partnering with local experts and resources, the wetlands and fields surrounding the CLC property could be used to create a unique and enriching interactive educational experience. In March of 2016, the CLC elders gave their approval for the development of a transition plan that would replace CLC School with a new independent school and committed to donating a portion of their land to become the home of the new school.

Community Faith Partners Sponsorship: 2017

In November of 2016, Community Faith Partners (CFP) voted to act as the fiscal sponsor for the “Ithaca Area Christian School” (future name to be determined). The project was officially launched in a Jan 2017 CFP announcement:

“Covenant Love Community Church fully supports the transition of the current school to an independent, community-based Christian school. To support this process, they have agreed to transition the resources of the existing school and donate a large portion of their land to be the home of the new school.”

Environmental Programs Launch: 2018

To explore the Place-Based Education concept, the first CFP project was to engage community members to provide a Bio-Blitz event in June 2018 at CLCS. The Bio-Blitz proved to be an excellent experience for both the students and the local experts that participated. The name Willow Glen Christian School (WGCS), a reference to the local geographic area shown on historic maps, was chosen in the same month.

Observation Tower: 2019 – 2020

The WGCS development committee’s next exploratory project was the design and construction of an outdoor “classroom” located in the wetlands adjacent to the school sports fields. A large permanent observation tower overlooking the pond and adjacent wetlands was constructed by a collaborative team. The funds were raised through CFP and over 65 volunteers from the community turned out for the initial construction day.

Curriculum Development: 2020 – 2021

In early 2020, the focus shifted to developing the curriculum model for the new school. It was at this time the WGCS development committee recognized the level of interest in the local community for a Classical Christian Education curriculum. While this was originally envisioned as an optional diploma track, the committee soon realized the benefit of fully embracing the Classical Education model. The committee affirmed this direction for WGCS and began researching and incorporating Classical Christian Education curriculum materials into the WGCS curriculum. The development committee also began to visit other Classical Christian schools to learn from their experiences.

Sponsor Churches: 2021-2022

With a clear vision and plan for the new school, the Development Committee began to pursue local churches to provide governance for the new school. By early 2022, eight local churches had agreed to act as official sponsors and provide governance oversight for the school.

Announcement to Close CLCS: 2022

In June 2022, The CLCS elders signed an agreement to transfer ownership of the physical assets held by CLC School to WGCS. In October 2022, they passed a resolution to close the CLC School after 48 years of operation to facilitate the launch of WGCS.

Final Steps: 2022-2023

During the fall of 2022 and the first half of 2023, an Advisory Committee was formed with representatives of eleven local churches to develop the legal framework, bylaws, and policies for WGCS. This work was jump-started by drawing upon sample policy and legal documents from ACCS (Association of Classical Christian Schools). A New York State Charter for WGCS was applied for, and the charter was received in March 2023.

Official Launch: July 2023

The WGCS Governing and School Boards were officially launched in July 2023 and the Advisory Committee was disbanded. Please see the School Governance web page for an explanation of how these boards provide oversight for WGCS.