Chattanooga Christian School is celebrating 25 years in the same location just off South Broad Street.
A photo taken by the Chattanooga News Free Press on May 9th, 1982, showed a handful of supporters of Chattanooga Christian gathered outside the old Ed Wright car dealership to celebrate the purchase of 10 acres plus a building.
This new site would accommodate the merger of campuses around the city into one location for junior and senior high schools.
Those in the photo were Dan Horsman, Tom McCallie, Dr. Paul Gilchrist, Ted Franklin, Dr. Frank Eldridge, Dick Crotteau, Hugh O. Maclellan, Jr., Kay Arthur, Mrs. John Smartt, Supt. Don Holwerda, Ted DeMoss, Jim Hammond, Mike Vitullo, Roland Rabon, Arch Warren, Jack Arthur, Rudy Walldorf, and Tom Meade.
At that time, the school had 250 students in grades K through 12.
The original site was paved in concrete, but now hosts lawns, gardens and trees that have earned the school the Southside beautification award.
Over the next several years, the school expanded, buying more property and buildings on this same site.
A photo taken on the front lawn of CCS on April 5, 2007, in the same location, (the front of the renovated car dealership front building,) shows the 1,100 current CCS students in grades K-12 along with their teachers and school administrators.
Don Holwerda is now the school’s president. The school has expanded to included 40+ acres on the same site with several new and renovated buildings as well as athletic fields.
CCS is the largest school in the Chattanooga and surrounding areas, with students from over 700 families It is interdenominational, debt-free, has an endowment of over $10 million, and is currently working on the ‘For Excellent Teachers’ endowment campaign.
Officials said, "The demand for excellent Christian education at CCS is evidenced by waiting groups in nearly every grade. Every grade scores at least two years above the national average each year. The senior class scores equal to or greater than other local preparatory schools on the SAT and ACT, has a graduation rate and college attendance rate of virtually 100%, and has had 10 National Merit Finalists in the last three years.
"Each of the recent graduating classes has averaged 95 students, with 81% of last year’s class receiving scholarships and awards exceeding $1.1 million."
Chattanooga Christian School is now in its 36th year of operation and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.