North Florida Christian School

North Florida Christian School (NFCS) is a private Christian school located in Tallahassee, Florida that was founded as a segregation academy.[1] The school has classes from K3 to 12th grade, and it serves students from several counties in north Florida and South Georgia.

North Florida Christian School
Address
3000 N Meridian Rd

Tallahassee
,
Florida
32312

United States
Coordinates30.486897°N 84.278237°W / 30.486897; -84.278237
Information
TypePrivate, Christian
Established1966
CEEB code101677
AdministratorTom Phillips
Number of students578
CampusSuburban
Campus size30 acres (12 ha)
Color(s)Red, White and Black    
MascotEagles
Tuition$8,425 (High School)
$8,425 (Middle School)
$7,520(K5-Grade 5)
$2,835 (K-4)VPK
$2,835 (K-3)
Websitewww.nflschool.org

The school is a ministry of Florida Baptist Church, formerly known as Temple Baptist Church. In 2016–2017, tuition was about $7,000.[2]

History

Originally known as Tallahassee Christian School,[1] it was founded in 1966 by Temple Baptist Church pastor Rayburn L. Blair and headmaster James Pound. Pound served as principal and school superintendent until his retirement in 1988.

Although the school is open today to students of all races, it was founded by white parents, one of several segregation academies started in response to the federally mandated racial integration of Leon County Schools.[3]

Among the parents who withdrew their children form public schools and enrolled them at NFCS were Board of Regents member Fred Parker and state senator Miley Miers. Parker told the AP that he enrolled his four children in NFCS because he didn't want them to be subject to desegregation busing. Parker added that an advantage of NFCS was that the private school's bus service had a stop near his home.[4] Miers said he moved her three children to NFCS since so they would not "suffer" from the end of the separate-but-equal doctrine.[5]

In 1970, NFCS signed an agreement to lease the Old Sealey School campus from the Leon County school board. In response to the lease, the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare blocked the public school system from receiving a $200,000 federal grant since the school board was aiding a racially segregated private school.[6]

In 1975, school head James Pound told the Tallahassee Democrat that the school had turned down all black applicants to avoid racial conflict at the school.[7]

In 1978, NFCS expelled three students because their parents tried to start a parent teacher organization independent of the school. About 100 parents attempted to form the PTA to improve academic standards at the NFCS. The school, which at the time had over 1700 students, sent a letter to all parents explaining that if they disagreed with the church's administration of the school, they should withdraw their children.[8]

School faculty of Tallahassee Christian helped establish another segregation academy, Gadsden Christian Academy (now known as the Tallavanna Christian School) in Gadsden County in 1971.[9]

Accreditation

NFCS is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the Florida Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, and the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation.

Athletics

1986 FHSAA player eligibility controversy

In 1986, the football team included a student who transferred in violation of FHSAA regulations. The FHSAA declared each game in which the student participated be forfeited, making the school ineligible for the playoffs. NFCS sued in state court and was granted an injunction allowing it to participate in the playoffs. The court later upheld the ruling allowing the student's participation.[10][11]

State championships
NFCS athletics state championships[12]
Team Year Classification Head Coach Record Championship Game Score Opponent Location
Baseball 1995 3A Mike Posey n/a 2-0 Keystone Heights Ed Smith Stadium, Sarasota
Baseball 2007 2A Mike Posey n/a 6-1 Montverde Ed Smith Stadium, Sarasota
Baseball 2011 2A Mike Posey 24-4 8-4 Orangewood Christian Digital Domain Park, Port St. Lucie
Girls Basketball 2008 2A Aaron Krause n/a 54-44 Lafayette (Mayo) The Lakeland Center
Football 1996 2A Tim Cokely n/a 34-7 Glades Day Daytona Bch. Mun. Stadium
Football 1998 2A Tim Cokely n/a 30-13 American Heritage University of Florida
Football 1999 1A Tim Cokely n/a 23-13 Fort Meade University of Florida
Football 2000 1A Tim Cokely n/a 20-16 Fort Meade University of Florida
Football 2001 2A Tim Cokely n/a 28-16 Fort Meade Florida State University
Football 2008 1A Tim Cokely 10-2 17-7 Fort Meade Orlando
Football 2011 2A Robert Craft 13-0 69-0 Admiral Farragut Citrus Bowl
Football 2018 2A Steve Price 9-4 28-20 Champagne Catholic Camping World Stadium

Notable people

References
  1. White, Headley J. (2006). "Effects of Desegregation on Gadsden County, Florida Public Schools 1968-1972 (PhD thesis)". p. 25 (PDF p. 33.
  2. http://www.nflschool.org/tuition.html, retrieved July 6, 2016.
  3. Glenda Alice Rabby, The Pain and the Promise: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Tallahassee, Florida, Athens, Ga., University of Georgia Press, 1999, ISBN 082032051X, p. 255.
  4. "Regent, Rep. Miers put kids in private school". Miami News. September 10, 1970. p. 10.
  5. "Action Sought against White Alabama parents". Commonwealth. Greenwood, MS. September 4, 1970. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "A $200,000 reminder". Tallahassee Democrat. February 18, 1971. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Court ruling hits private school bias". Tallahassee Democrat. May 29, 1975 – via Newspapers.com. Pound said there are no blacks presently at the school and none have applied since the late 1960s. Several blacks did apply then, he said, but were turned down in order to avoid racial conflict at the school.
  8. Effron, Seth (July 30, 1978). "Pastor says paper wages a vendetta". Tallahassee Democrat. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. White, Headley J. (2006). "Effects of Desegregation on Gadsden County, Florida Public Schools 1968-1972 (PhD thesis)". p. 29 (PDF p. 37.
  10. FHSAA v. Temple Baptist Church, Inc. 509 So. 2d 1381 - Fla: Dist. Court of Appeals, 1st Dist. 1987
  11. Gray, W. Blake (November 6, 1988). "Lake Gibson group to appeal forfeits". The Tampa Tribune. p. 6D – via Newspapers.com.
  12. http://www.fhsaa.org/records FHSAA Championship Records
  13. http://www.nbc.com/nbc/The_Apprentice_2/candidates/maria.shtml
  14. http://www.foxnews.com/bios/index.html
  15. Henry, Jim (24 October 2016). "TV personality, former NFC star Ledlow robbed at gunpoint". Retrieved 5 October 2018.
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