Lighthouse Christian Academy, a private school operated by Lighthouse Baptist Church in Cortez, is marking its 30th anniversary as it prepares for the 2025-26 school year. The school, which was founded in 1995, will welcome students back on Aug. 20, a start date that is slightly later than area public schools.
This schedule will still allow students to complete their first semester, including exams, before Christmas break.
About 60 students have enrolled so far, with seven teachers and a principal, Susan Payne, who has served in the school since 2020.
LCA emphasizes a Bible-centered education, weaving Scripture throughout its curriculum and requiring students to memorize Bible verses. The school uses the Abeka curriculum, employing a hybrid instructional model. Elementary classes blend in-person teaching with video-based learning, while junior high and high school rely primarily on video instruction.
Bible classes, however, are always taught in person. Weekly Thursday chapel services engage all students with games, songs and a Bible lesson.
Students have won notable awards over the years in the Veterans of Foreign Wars writing competition.
A highlight this summer, as the school prepares for the upcoming school year, is the school’s facility upgrades, funded by a record-breaking color walk fundraiser in May that raised $37,000, surpassing a previous record fundraiser that raised $10,000.
A large portion of the funds are dedicated to classroom improvements, such as new laminate flooring in a room on the upstairs level of the school. The other portion supports a major playground renovation, including a new play area, additional swings, a tire tower, a pyramid climbing structure, a permanent covering for the outdoor eating area and upgraded basketball backboards.
Completion is targeted for the end of July.
Open registration is ongoing, but enrollment is selective to align with the school’s philosophy of being an extension of a Bible-focused home. The process involves an enrollment meeting to ensure shared values, encapsulated in the motto “Educating for Eternity.”
“We want our school to be an extension of the home ministry,” Lighthouse Baptist Church Associate Pastor Reece Alvarez told The Journal. “We don't want the student to come into the school and it be a foreign environment from what the home looks like. So, we try to get parents who have a priority of teaching the Bible and loving God in the home, and honestly, those two things kind of take care of everything else. We don't have a laundry list of requirements. Really, after the first meeting, we can tell if it'll be a good fit and if our values align. We're not looking to deter parents. We’re not looking for reasons to say no, but if there's a glaring difference in philosophy, then we just try to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit to lead us.”
Class sizes are limited. Right now, first through fourth grades are full, but there are still some openings for kindergarten and fifth through 12th grade.
For information or to schedule a tour, contact the school at (970) 565-9302 or email academy@lbcortez.org.
