University Christian School is a private Christian school in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. It is part of the ministry of the University Church, a local Baptist congregation. It serves students from pre-kindergarten through graduation. The school has a strong focus on sports and has won several state titles in various sports such as football, baseball and wrestling. The school was established as a segregation academy in order to keep white children away from minorities in response to court ordered desegregation of public schools.[2]
| University Christian School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
 | |
5520 University Blvd W , , 32216 United States | |
| Coordinates | 30°18′33″N 81°38′26″W / 30.30917°N 81.64056°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private, Coeducational |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Christian |
| Denomination | Baptist |
| Established | 1973 |
| Founder | Jack J. Dinsbeer (Former Pastor of University Baptist Church) |
| Superintendent | Pastor Frank Ciresi |
| President | Frank Ciresi |
| Dean | John Sirmon |
| Principal | Beverly Bandy (Upper School) |
| Head of school | Heath Nivens |
| Grades | pre-school–12 |
| Age | 6 weeks+ |
| Average class size | apx. 35 students |
| Classes offered | K3-12 |
| Language | English |
| Hours in school day | apx.7 |
| Campus | Lower Socially Economic Suburban |
| Campus size | .9 acres (0.36 ha) |
| Color(s) | Blue, Vegas Gold, and White |
| Slogan | "Truth, Tradition, Transformation" |
| Sports | football, baseball, basketball, soccer, cross country, track, wrestling and golf |
| Mascot | Christian Knight |
| Team name | "Fighting Christians" |
| Rival | Trinity Christian School |
| Accreditation | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools[1] |
| School fees | $1200-$1650 depending on grade level |
| Tuition | Grades K5-6th=$8850; Grades 7th-12th= $9950 |
| Website | http://www.ucsjax.com |
History
editUniversity Christian School is an extension of University Church. University Church was founded in 1950; Jack J. Dinsbeer became pastor of the small congregation in 1953. Under his leadership the church grew in membership, and in 1965 the church established a kindergarten. In 1970 University Christian School expanded into a full elementary school with grades one through six. The first class graduated in 1973, and a year later the administration acquired more land for additional buildings to house a middle and high school. The school continued to expand in the 1990s.[3]
Academics
editIn 2012, the school replaced textbooks with iPads.[4]
Notable alumni
edit- Otis Anderson Jr., American football player[5]
- Glenn Davis, Former professional baseball player (Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles)
- Storm Davis, Former professional baseball player (Baltimore Orioles, San Diego Padres, Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers) and current Pitching Coach of the Daytona Cubs
- Ashley Greene, actress in the Twilight Saga, actually didn't graduate from University Christian School. She graduated from Wolfson High School after leaving University Christian.
- Marquis Haynes, Outside Linebacker for the Carolina Panthers
- Kelly Kelly, WWE personality. Kelly Kelly, formerly known as Barbara Blank, left University Christian School and actually graduated from Englewood High school.
- AC Leonard, CFL football player
References
edit- ^ SACS-CASI. "SACS-Council on Accreditation and School Improvement". Archived from the original on April 29, 2009. Retrieved June 23, 2009.
- ^ White, Tim; Smith, Kimberly M. (2012-10-08). At the End of the Road: One Man's Journey from Chaos to Clarity. BookBaby. ISBN 9780985917715.
- ^ "About Us". ucschool.org. Retrieved October 27, 2010.
- ^ Sanders, Topher (Jan 20, 2012). "iPad to replace textbooks at University Christian". Florida Times-Union. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
- ^ "Former UC star Otis Anderson Jr. is ready for NFL draft". News4jax.com. April 22, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021.