New Christian school takes over former Laureate site in SLO

A new private, Christian school that offers a “rigorous” classical education built around the scripture has announced plans to open at the former Laureate School site in San Luis Obispo.

The school, Christ Classical, will operate on the 10-acre property off O’Connor Way near Foothill Boulevard and will open for enrollment on Jan. 1, with plans to start classes in August 2017 in grades K-4.

The site was purchased by an anonymous donor who supports the mission of the school. The donor has an agreement with the school to allow operations there and plans to eventually transfer the ownership to the school, said Kenneth Trotter, Christ Classical’s head of school.

The cost per student will be $6,500 a year, which includes tuition and books. The cost for half-day kindergarten is $4,250 per student.

“We’re a nondenominational school that will be teaching the truths of the Bible,” Trotter said. “By God’s grace, we endeavor to assist Christian families in the education of their children, by providing a stimulating academic program in a distinctly Christ-centered environment.”

The school emphasizes language proficiency (reading, grammar and spelling), handwriting, history, the Bible, mathematics and Latin. And it supplements those subjects with science, music, art, drama and physical education.

The school teaches spelling and reading with a “strong phonics-based program that teaches the students why words are spelled the way they are,” Trotter said.

“Our students learn to write by imitating good writing,” he said.

The Laureate School, which operated under the business entity Eucasia Schools Worldwide Inc., closed in July 2015 after several months of missed rent payments. The school owed about $172,000 before being evicted by the school’s landlord, Full Circle Laureate LLC.

Christ Classical, a nonprofit group with a board of directors, bought the property with funding from an anonymous donor, Trotter said.

The facility includes three buildings housing 16 classrooms, plus playground space. Classroom sizes will reach a maximum of 18 students.

This is the first branch operated by the school. Trotter resigned from his work as head of Trinitas Christian School in Pensacola, Florida, at the end of last school year to lead Christ Classical in San Luis Obispo.

“We’ve done a little bit of research,” Trotter said. “We think that the area is looking for something like what we’re offering.”

Trotter expects the first year to have 40 to 60 children. The plan is to add a grade each year until the school becomes a K-12 program.

Trotter said the school is a member of the Association of Classical and Christian Schools and will seek to gain accreditation through the organization. But the school can’t start that process until its operations are underway.

This story was originally published October 14, 2016 at 11:38 AM with the headline "New Christian school takes over former Laureate site in SLO."