When Nicole Williams wrote a letter to her future self many years ago, she knew that she wanted to run a school of her own one day.
Although she founded Faith Christian Academy in 2012, the school’s recent move to a bigger building has made her dream feel more like a reality than ever.
“I wrote myself a letter about 15 years ago, saying I wanted to start a school, and I put it in my bible and closed it up,” Williams says. “I found it four years ago and realized, this was my dream.”
Completing the move in just one weekend, the school re-opened on Monday, Dec. 8 with a fresh setting, bigger rooms and more possibilities than ever.
Previously located at 1202 S. Collins St., FCA’s classes and programs were held in a church. With just four students enrolled, the size of the classrooms weren’t a problem. But, as word about the school got out, it saw its enrollment jump to 30 for 2013.
While it was still manageable, Williams and the staff wanted to see more growth than in the student body alone. Eventually, she knew that part would grow beyond what the church could comfortably hold.
“This year, realized we were way out of space because we had 60 children,” Williams says. “So, we decided we had to get moving. We tried to get in buildings all over Plant City, but nothing worked out.”
For much of this school year, the kids were fairly cramped together, “sitting on each other’s laps,” as Williams put it. Several new programs that required extra resources were also added. A new sports program and the safety patrol helped FCA feel more complete, but a new building would be the catalyst for growth.
Finally, an opportunity to move into 301 N. Palmer St. arose, and FCA jumped right into the 7,000 square-foot building.
“We have a fantastic PTO group,” Williams said. “They helped us, got a moving truck, and we were able to move in by Monday. We literally moved out from Friday, when school let out, to Monday.”
The school now has many of the resources of larger, public schools.
“We didn’t have a real lunch room, but now we do,” Williams says. “We also have the ability to have performances. Before, we were using the sanctuary, and we would have to move stuff and then move it back. We got a full library for the children, a lot more classroom space, and overall, the general feel of a school. The kids are extremely excited, and we’ve already gotten four new students.”
Although many of the school’s goals for 2015 could have been achieved in either building, the expansion will help in one area: FCA has been mulling the idea of adding a ninth grade program to its current Pre-K through eighth grade slate, and the extra space could certainly help make that happen.
“We have eighth graders now who really want to stay here,” Williams says.
ABOUT FCA
Faith Christian Academy is a private Christian school currently instructing 60 students, ranging from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade. The school is accepting new enrollments, and financial aid is available for students with special needs, or those who are coming from low-income families.
For more information, call (813) 473-2090 and visit fcapc.com.