Grace Christian School had its beginnings in the late 1970s from a Bible study led by Dr. Roland Byrd. Louisville residents from First Presbyterian, First Baptist, First Methodist, West Union Presbyterian, and Sacred Heart Catholic Church attended the study. Guest speakers included Dr. Norman Harper (Professor of Christian education at Reformed Theological Seminary) and Dr. Bob Mounts (Pastor of First Baptist Church). Individuals read books on Christian education and made reports to the group. An understanding of a Christian world and life view came into focus. A natural application of such a view was the formation of a school with a distinctively Christ-centered education.

 

After much prayer, study, and consideration of the task, Grace Christian Education Association was chartered in 1977 as a non-profit corporation. Original association members were Mr. and Mrs. Mike Boyles, Dr. and Mrs. Roland Byrd, Miss Kaye Calvert, Mr. and Mrs. Pruitt Calvert, Miss Donna Cunningham, Mr. Charles McCool, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Prisock, Mr. and Mrs. Mike Triplett, and Mr. Roger Wiggins. School began in the fall of 1978 with a kindergarten class meeting in donated facilities on Ivy Avenue. GCS generally added one grade each year through elementary school. Grades were then added as resources were available. In October 1982, GCS moved into permanent facilities on McLeod Road. GCS became a full school in 1997 with Kindergarten through 12th grade. In May of 1998 the first graduation ceremony was held for four seniors. In the fall of 1998, a new 12,500 square foot multi-purpose building was completed, more than doubling the space under roof. The building was named in honor of the late Dr. Ben Crawford, longtime President of the Grace Christian School Board of Directors. In 2006, the main building was named in honor of the late Miss Donna Cunningham, founding association member, former headmaster, and long-time first grade teacher.

 

Today, Grace Christian School is an integrated, interdenominational, Christian school which labors to build students with a head for excellence and a heart for service. Grace partners with Christian parents in discipling their children to love the Lord. The purpose of Grace Christian School is to glorify God by providing an academically excellent education which presents the Christian perspective on the whole of life, creation, and knowledge. It is the intellectual aim of the school to provide a thorough academic education with high scholastic standards, which has its integrating center in the Sovereign Triune God. A Christian mind is developed in the student by studying, understanding, interpreting, and analyzing the facts of this world and life from a Biblical perspective. It is the spiritual aim of the school that the student, through his God-related studies, is challenged with the knowledge of his need for reconciliation to God through Christ and obedience to His revealed will. It is the social and emotional aim of the school that the student matures in such a way as to develop a life of service to Christ and through Him to mankind through development of his social and emotional skills. It is the physical aim of the school to assist the student in establishing a Godly attitude and practice that leads to sound physical conditioning throughout his life.