Please click this link to view our pricing schedule. WCA offers a tremendous value for parents who desire to educate their children in a safe, God-centered, academically excellent environment. We offer scholarships to families in need, discounts for the children of pastors and also multi-child family discounts. We also offer "a la cart" pricing for families who home school or for those who simply want to take advantage of our excellent classes and educators. This is becoming a popular option for specific subjects, such as Latin.

No, WCA is an non-denominational Christian school without institutional ties to any church or religion.  Our students represent over 20 churches, including Assembly of God, Baptist, Catholic, Church of God, Episcopal, Lutheran, Nazarene, Presbyterian, and others. The teachers and staff at WCA represent seven different churches.

Absolutely!  We are a Christian Academy. Our board and faculty are made up of committed Christian men and women dedicated to the work of developing young minds capable of bringing a Christian worldview into the marketplace of ideas. As such, all students participate in prayer, bible study, and chapel services.  In science and history classes, older children are exposed to conflicting ideas, and they are challenged to critically examine all the evidence.  Classical literature presented in the classroom will often include the works of Christian and non-Christian writers and thinkers. Intellectually, we believe we have much to learn from such giants as St. Augustine, Galileo, and Isaac Newton. While we are united in our Christian faith, we appreciate that we are made up of many denominations with differing theological understandings.  We view this as strength as opposed to a weakness. With the love of Jesus Christ as our example, WCA is committed to making all families who are respectful of our Christian worldview feel welcome and appreciated.

WCA exists to assist parents in educating their children in a manner that honors Jesus Christ by providing academically excellent Christian education with individualized instruction in small classroom settings.

In addition to using the best text books and course materials available, students at WCA enjoy (1) a solid Bible curriculum, (2) a Christian approach to learning, (3) individualized instruction, (4) a small classroom environment, (5) special field trips, (6) creative class projects and other special forms of enrichment, (7) instruction in music, art, logic, Latin, and physical education, (8) as well as a caring, loving, family-like atmosphere where Christian values are upheld and where (9) parents are offered many opportunities to become involved in their children's education.

You will find several differences in what WCA offers compared to other schools.  Academically, the greatest difference is the fact that WCA provides its students with a “classical education,” as opposed to the modern “progressive education” which has dominated American schools for the past century and is founded on the rejection of reason, knowledge, and intellectual training—and on the enshrinement of emotional impulse, “experience,” and “social adjustment.”  We aim to provide a training of a child’s intellect, making them capable of proper, rigorous, critical reasoning. 

In addition to providing a classical education, WCA offers an educational environment that is intimate, caring, and values-based.  At WCA, all the teachers and staff know all the students by name and the day starts with our Headmaster welcoming each student by name at the front door. 

Discipline is another area where you may notice differences when comparing other schools.  Our small size allows our staff to have close supervision of the students during recess, in the hallways and in the classroom.  Students are required to show respect for each other and their teachers at all times.  If misbehavior occurs, it is dealt with immediately and is not overlooked or downplayed.

Individual attention is another area that you may find to be different at WCA.  WCA has an unwavering commitment to each child’s academic and spiritual well-being, not just the child who may get left behind.  WCA is committed to academic excellence for all children.  WCA strives to challenge all students to accomplish excellence according to their God-given individual capacity, whether your child is one who needs extra help or who should be given extra challenges.

If you place a child in an environment where good decisions are acknowledged and reinforced, and where good values are rewarded and encouraged, we believe that child will have more confidence and a strong moral compass in dealing with decisions throughout his life.  Very often, the most damaging and difficult events in any school are directly due to inappropriate peer pressure, which can lead to life-altering decisions.  Whitefish public schools are no exception. Many parents have found that placing their child in a positive environment free from bullying, drug abuse, inappropriate dress and language, which teaches them self-discipline and critical thinking, greatly increases the chances of the child making the right decisions as they are faced with them.

There is no greater task for education than to teach students how to learn.  For education to be effective, it must go beyond conveying facts.  Truly effective education cultivates thinking and articulate students who are able to develop facts into arguments and convey those arguments clearly and persuasively.  Classical education adds the dimension and breadth needed to develop students’ minds.  Rigorous academic standards, a dedication to order and discipline, and a focus on key subjects are all part of a classical education.

Classical Christian education has produced the greatest thinkers, leaders, and scientists in the Western world from the time of the Greeks until the late 19th century, including America's founding fathers.  A student who is classically trained is well-versed in logic, critical thinking, and rhetoric, as well as the art of speaking, communicating, and writing.

The first stage of a classical education is the “grammar” stage, which has applications beyond English classes.  “Grammar” is the fundamental rules of each subject, whether that subject is math, science, foreign language, geography, or history.   For example, the grammar of history consists of events, dates, locations, and persons.  The grammar of math consists of things like the addition and multiplication tables.  When students study grammar according to the classical structure, they are learning facts associated with each subject matter.

You may have noticed an innate ability in your child to memorize relatively easily and recall information.  Classical education in the elementary grades consists of much memorized “grammar.”  Much of the memorization of grammar is taught through songs and repetitive chants, which younger children love.  For example, your first grader will likely learn detailed facts about the rain forests through a chant, or the parts of speech through a song.  Walking down the hallway of WCA, it is common to hear students in different classrooms reciting out loud such things as Latin conjugations, the U.S. presidents, or geography facts.

Grammar facts are often reinforced through the integration of material.  For example, a teacher may use a science experiment that applies math principles.  The student’s appreciation of the inter-connections between the subjects will come later in the “Logic” or “Dialectic” stage, which occurs in the junior high years, when students are taught logic and critical thinking.

Due to the individual attention that we are able to provide each student, with parental help WCA can generally accommodate a smooth academic transition regardless of grade level.  For example, we begin Latin instruction in the 3rd grade.  With the use of Latin DVDs and targeted attention from our Latin Department, transferring students have been able to be on par with the other students in Latin by the end of their first year.  Upon transferring, your child will be evaluated in core subjects and if needed, an individual  plan will be designed to insure successful academic integration.  Socially, students can be very apprehensive to change schools.  Transferring families continue to express that their children have had extremely successful transitions.  We believe that success is due to the social climate at WCA, where care and compassion are expected and fostered.

The benefits of Latin study are numerous and well-proven.  For starters, over 50% of our English vocabulary comes from Latin, even though English is not a Romance language.  The study of Latin greatly increases a student’s working vocabulary and has been proven to raise both verbal and math SAT scores on college entrance exams.  The knowledge of one Latin verb often unlocks the meaning of several English words in a way that the students retain -- knowing the origin of the word gives the word meaningful context.  The study of Latin grammar greatly refines the student’s knowledge of grammar and syntax in general, which then carries over into English. 

When a Latin student studies a modern Romance language (Spanish, French, Italian), he has a great advantage since over 80% of that vocabulary comes from Latin.  In fact, Latin provides a remarkable platform from which to study many modern languages.

Latin also trains the students in essentials of the scientific method – observation, comparison, and generalization.  In Latin, little differences between words are not little at all!  The observation of a word must be precise.  Earlier this century a great chemist famously opined that the best advanced chemistry students are those who studied Latin, as opposed to those trained in chemistry.  He stated that the student trained in chemistry does better at first, but they are shortly outdone by their counterparts who studied Latin grammar.  A trained mind is the best preparation for rigorous science; the study of Latin grammar trains the mind.

WCA has always enjoyed highly qualified, well-trained, outgoing Christian teachers who love students, teaching, and working at a Christian academy where they are free to teach about Christ, the Bible, and Christian values and free to teach creatively. They sacrifice financially to teach at WCA because they love the academy and believe in its mission.

Students from all types of social, economic, and religious backgrounds attend WCA.

By no means! Most parents who send their children to WCA make some sort of financial sacrifice to do so. During an average academic year, approximately 25% of the children who attend WCA are on some sort of financial aid.

Wearing school uniforms accomplishes the following:

• Simplifies dressing and dress codes
• Reduces peer pressure and social stigmas
• Encourages distinction of character and personality instead of appearance
• Places emphasis on learning, not clothing
• Equalizes economic diversity
• Lowers long-term clothing costs
• Allows for cohesive presentation as a group
• Facilitates security by identifying outsiders
• Enhances school spirit

The best way is often in person. We love to have people bring up their ideas with any of us who work here. Frequently, even School Board members can be caught dropping off or picking up children. Mr. Kotila, our Headmaster and Brendan Hosking, our Principal Teacher, make listening to people's ideas and concerns a top priority. Mr. Kotila even keeps a weekly coffee date at the downtown Coffee Traders in order to provide an opportunity for relaxed, undistracted conversation. If you prefer to submit suggestions anonymously, you may 1. email one of the staff  or 2. email a teacher  by clicking one of those links - if you're not sure who to send it to, send it to Darlene and she'll see that it gets to the right person. Don't worry about using your real email address, our system isn't that sophisticated and we won't think you're being tacky (unless, of course, your email actually is!).

Throughout the centuries, Christians have believed the Bible encourages them to provide a Christian education for their children to train them up in the way they should go (Prov. 22:6) and teach them to love the Lord with all their hearts, souls, and minds and their neighbors as themselves (Matt. 22:36-40). WCA was started as a result of this belief. The Board and staff of WCA believe the school should function as an extension of the Christian home. We strive to teach all subjects from a Christian perspective, to teach the Bible in a clear and practical manner, and to teach Christian values. Although the Flathead Valley is blessed with good public schools, the U.S. Supreme Court forbids teaching Christian values and concepts in public schools. Furthermore, from a purely educational point of view, WCA is able to offer more creative instruction in smaller classrooms than the public schools and to offer individualized instruction and many unusual and creative learning opportunities.

Churches and individual Christians should support WCA because it is a Christian academy that is working to extend the kingdom of God. WCA reinforces and extends the teachings and values of the Christian home and church. Courses are taught from a Christian perspective. Students are taught the Bible and Christian values. Christians and non-Christians should support WCA because it produces exceptionally well trained students with high moral values who are an asset to our community and nation. To learn more about how you can support WCA, please click here.

Economically, WCA provides jobs for sixteen people and has an annual budget of over $250,000. Educationally, WCA provides a distinctively excellent Christian education for approximately 110 students each year. Morally, WCA builds solid, responsible citizens by teaching Christian values in a Christian atmosphere. Culturally, WCA sponsors a community art show each summer and teaches art to all of our students. Socially, having an academically excellent, biblically sound Christian school in Whitefish helps to attract families who are relocating to the Flathead Valley and who value such a school.

WCA benefits the work of local churches by providing students with a solid foundation in biblical instruction, by teaching them to be loyal and responsible members of their own churches, by reinforcing and extending the teachings and values of the Christian home and church, and by helping to extend the kingdom of God in the Flathead Valley. WCA helps parents and pastors in the process of training up young people in the way they should go (Prov. 22:6) and teaching them to love the Lord with all their hearts, souls, and minds and their neighbors as themselves (Matt. 22:36-40).

WCA has an excellent reputation among the churches of the Flathead Valley, many of which support the school with annual contributions and scholarships for needy students. Over the years, several pastor's wives have been employed at WCA.

Whitefish Christian Academy is a 501 (C) (3) organization under the Internal Revenue Service, which provides it a tax-exempt status. Our Federal Tax I.D. Number is 81-0387934.

Like all other Christian and private educational institutions that are not supported by taxation, WCA depends on income from tuition and from donations to meet its payroll. Because of careful financial planning and management, a conservative fiscal policy, hard work by the Parent Teacher Fellowship, and sacrificial giving by many people who love WCA and who believe in its educational philosophy and spiritual ministry, WCA remains financially sound. By God's grace, the Board is confident this will continue to be the case.