Oklahoma Christian School

History

Oklahoma Christian School (OCS) is now in its 41st year of Christian education. From its humble beginning as an elementary school with 17 students and 5 teachers, OCS has developed into a flourishing community of approximately 900 students.

The school was founded in 1970 as the Christian Center School under the arm of the Christian Conquest Center Church in Oklahoma City. Five years later, it became an independent institution and took the name Oklahoma Christian Schools, Inc. The school saw its first graduating class of 13 students in 1976, and for the next ten years rented facilities from Edmond churches in order to house its steadily growing enrollment. In 1987, OCS moved to the Metro Church (now LifeChurch.tv) campus and became neighbors with the church. For the first time, the entire Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade student body was now unified in one location.

OCS completed its first building project in 1995 in the form of a middle school and gymnasium facility. In 2002, OCS was able to purchase land and the two buildings which had previously been leased from the church. Campus growth became a reality as the school began developing its Master Plan. For the next several years, OCS enhanced the school property by expanding athletic fields, remodeling the playground, and constructing an outdoor amphitheatre.

In 2007, the school began construction of the custom-designed Centennial Student Center which was strategically positioned to overlook the athletic fields and provide a practice gymnasium, cafeteria, band room, additional locker rooms, and weight room. Upstairs, the 5th and 6th grade students occupy the seven spacious classrooms.

OCS is an independent school accredited by the ACSI and fully recognized by the State Department of Education. Over the past 41 years, OCS has grown and expanded its wide range of classes and its opportunities for students. The school believes that these resources it enjoys are a gift, and that it is OCS’s responsibility to cultivate and steward those resources as it seeks to “partner with parents in educating the whole person to glorify God.”

Governance

Oklahoma Christian School is guided by its mission and overseen by the OCS Board of Directors that meets on the second Tuesday of every month. The board consists of 10 to 13 parents of current OCS students. Members are elected by existing board members. The OCS board in turn elects officers who serve as executive officers (chair, vice chair, and secretary) and various other standing committee functions. The term of office is two years, and membership may be renewed twice (for a total of six consecutive years). Applications for consideration are included in pre-enrollment packets and are due in April.

The OCS Board of Directors’ duties include the following:

• Establish policies to effectively govern the school and review current polices;
• Establish strategic goals for the school and govern the school to achieve these goals;
• Appoint a senior administrator (headmaster). Empower this person to carry out the daily operations and provide formal evaluations of the headmaster;
• Establish the qualifications and compensation for the headmaster as well as the base-salaries for administration, teachers, and staff.
• Provide financial oversight for the school:
• Develop long term financial plans, review and approve annual operating budgets, and review and approve monthly financial statements.
• Ensure that an annual review of the financial records is made by a Certified Public Accountant who is not associated with the school or related to any of its members.
• Enter into contracts or other agreements for the benefit of the school and prescribe the duties of any person or entity entering into such contract. Safeguard the assets of the school;
• Support the merits and purposes of Christian education;
• Oversee marketing and fundraising efforts for the school and actively promote and support the school in the community.