Robert Guillaume, of Knightstown, is pictured alongside his desk at the Anderson Preparatory Academy just before he retired in 2015. He and Brandon Lavy, the pastor at Greenfield Church of Christ, shared a vision for opening a private school in Hancock County called Pathway Christian Academy.
GREENFIELD — A private Christian school is set to open in Greenfield this fall.
Pathway Christian Academy is now accepting applications for students entering kindergarten through second grade.
The school’s website states that the academy is “an unapologetically Christian institution, dedicated to leading students towards a life of academic curiosity and authentic faith.”
The non-denominational school will kick off its inaugural year in classroom space at Park Chapel Christian Church, but its creators hope to acquire an independent building in the future.
The school was founded by Robert Guillaume, a Knightstown resident who founded the Anderson Preparatory Academy charter school in Anderson in 2008.
He and Brandon Lavy, the pastor at Greenfield Church of Christ, share a vision for offering a Christian education for local families.
“We were looking for a school that wouldn’t just accept our faith but would really partner with parents and church in education all the way up through high school,” said Lavy, who is serving as the school’s admission director.
“We want it to be a place where kids can grow holistically, so that their academic, spiritual and social growth can all happen hand in hand,” he said.
Lavy said the school is already about halfway to its enrollment cap of 80 students based on the number of applications it has received. He expects the remaining spots to fill up once the school becomes accredited, which he expects to happen within a couple of weeks.
Becoming accredited makes the school eligible for Indiana’s Choice Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships to eligible Indiana students in grades K-12 to offset tuition costs at participating schools.
The academy’s tuition has been reduced from $8,500 to $7,800 for the inaugural year, in addition to a $100 supply fee and a $75 technology fee for first and second graders.
“Student tuition allows for small class sizes, exceptionally qualified instructors, and all the resources necessary to support the ‘elite education’ for which Pathway strives,” according to the school’s website.
Lavy said the goal is to add a new grade level to the school each year, so kindergartners or first graders starting out this fall could complete their education all the way through high school graduation.
The school’s calendar is “close to New Palestine’s school calendar, which is close to Greenfield’s,” said Lavy, “which is good because we know a lot of families will have children attending other schools.”
The academy is currently hiring teachers and determining how many classrooms will be needed for each grade based on enrollment, he said.
While the inaugural school year takes place at Park Chapel Christian Church, Lavy emphasized that the academy isn’t affiliated with any particular church but operates as a non-denominational nonprofit.
“We are very gracious to Park Chapel for allowing us to use their space, but we are looking forward to finding a permanent facility for the 2025-26 school year,” he said.
A capital campaign continues to support the school’s start-up costs and upcoming building project, which could be new construction or repurposing an existing space.
“We’re likely looking at renovating an existing facility, but we’re open to the opportunities that come up as we get more established in the community,” said Lavy.
For more information, visit pathwayca.org or the Pathway Christian Academy page on Facebook.
