Head of School Message: Dr. John Gredy
Over the past 18 months, one of my greatest prayers has been that God would sustain the momentum He started at DC prior to the COVID-19 crisis, and He hasn’t disappointed.
We were reminded of His faithfulness on September 30 when we ran our official enrollment numbers for the 2021-22 school year and verified that enrollment had grown by nearly 20 percent. This growth – which has brought close to 230 new students to our campus – is far beyond the 3-percent industry average for a private school.
The increase is fueled by one of our highest retention rates and an ever-increasing interest from public school families. We had 95 percent of our students remain at DC this year from last. We are extremely thankful for this as we know a private school is considered successful if it retains around 92 percent.
I have a deep conviction for parents as they navigate how God’s truth fits within this pivotal time in our nation’s history. We need to support all parents throughout the Miami Valley as they’re discovering things in public schools that they never dreamed their children would experience.
God has clearly given moms and dads a critical role in their child’s upbringing, but the world is doing everything it can to erode that responsibility. Slowly, and not always so subtly, schools and governments are removing that responsibility from parents and placing it elsewhere. Meanwhile, parents who want to stand up for what is right are being silenced at every turn.
At DC, we will always value a parent’s God-given role and the voice that they have in their child’s education. They are hungry for this type of commitment and want an educational partner who comes alongside them as they guide their child in God’s truth.
Still, this increased demand means we have to adjust. This includes short-term fixes in how traffic flows in the morning, as well as long-term strategies such as the way our campus space will be used. Our admissions team works closely with our principals to ensure our growth is managed in a responsible and healthy manner.
This approach has created waitlists for many grades and led us to launch a campus master plan, which considers feedback from various constituencies such as our leadership, Board of Trustees, parents, faculty, and staff. I’m excited to share more about this work in my State of School Address, which will be sent out in several, small videos in the upcoming weeks.
Meanwhile, please join me in prayer as I seek God’s protection over Dayton Christian during a contentious time in our nation. It is clear that God’s design for the family is at the heart of Satan’s battle plan. We serve a faithful and victorious King, but the road to ultimate victory will not be easy. Encourage families around you to stand up for what is right for their students and to understand they’re not alone in their convictions.
