Pella Christian Merger

Why Integration & Merging Makes Sense  (See Integration Briefings for More Detail)

• Larger, complex schools require different leadership structures than smaller, traditional schools - The traditional operational model of a  principal/board/committees becomes more difficult to perpetuate with increasingly detailed employment regulations, required usage of technology, a broader and more diffuse church support base, and large numbers of students/families new to Christian Education. Once schools reach a certain size, a more sustainable model is needed.

• Shared and more specialized leadership staff allow more definition of roles and more effective leadership - By hiring a Head of Schools (Superintendent) to focus on governance, operations, and advancement, Building Principals are freed up to fully invest in their teachers, their students, and the academic and spiritual formation of Kingdom servants. 

• Recent examples of Christian schools adopting this model are: Sheboygan Christian (Prek-12), De Motte Christian (Prek-12), Grandville-Calvin Christian (Prek-12), Southwest Chicago Christian (Prek-12), Edgerton Christian (Prek-12), and Sioux Center Christian (Prek-8) to name a few. 

• Prek-12 integration under one leadership structure is more beneficial for student learning - Prek-12 staff can collaborate, share ideas, structure a scope and sequence for learning, and benefit from a more streamlined teaching load. Students then work in a more coherent educational environment where Teaching for Transformation uniformly guides activities.

• Geographical proximity and practicality means merging makes sense - Pella Christian Grade School and Pella Christian High School are less than two miles apart. The vast majority of students at PCHS attended PCGS. The schools have the same mascot and colors. Families new to the area often don't realize till freshman year the two schools are separate and are surprised to learn this fact.

• More coherence is needed for parents and other supporters - Information sharing, tuition billing, development, and giving are currently separate, disjointed, and uncoordinated between two largely overlapping constituencies. At best, this makes Pella Christian look disorganized, at worst, it makes Pella Christian look unprofessional. To service existing students and families, continue to attract mission-aligned families to Pella Christian, and engage future generations of givers, Pella Christian must be more centrally run and directed under a unified leadership structure working toward a common purpose. 

• A strong Pella Christian means strong Christian Education in south central Iowa - Pella Christian High School and Pella Christian Grade School will be mutually strengthened by merging. Their strength will allow them to share more resources with other area Christian schools, lead in areas where a changing culture is challenging Christian education, and spend more human capital advocating for and supporting Christian education in south central Iowa and the larger world. 

• The world will always continue changing. It is our duty as Christians to adapt to current realities so we can be effective at meeting our calling while remaining anchored and faithful in God's Word.

The History of the Merger Proposal

• In 2017 CACE (The Center for the Advancement of Christian Education) worked independently with Pella Christian Grade School and Pella Christian High School. They and the boards determine significant benefits would accrue to both schools if they were to merge under one governance and leadership structure, with further benefits flowing to other area Christian schools. 

• In 2019 both school boards agreed to begin the work of integration with the intent to pursue a merger in the future. Town hall meetings, surveys, integration briefings ,and other communications were sent to constituents regarding integration. Interruptions to the work occurred from COVID-19, leadership turnover, and other internal challenges. Work has now resumed. 

• In 2022 both boards commissions subcommittees to draft a new Statement of Faith and and By-laws for a unified Pella Christian. We also retained the services of an attorney from Des Moines with experience in non-profit mergers to ensure we follow all necessary laws and procedures through this process.