by 8Dweb CMSdefender | Jun 29, 2023
A Note From Jason J. McGuire, Chairman of the Board
Dear Lima Christian Community,
In recent months, the words of Ecclesiastes 3:1 have often crossed my thoughts. “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” So, it is in that spirit that I announce a coming change to the LCS School Board.
Last year, I notified the Board that the 2022-2023 Academic Year would be my last as chairman of the Board, and now that day has come. June 30, 2023, concludes my current three-year term on the Board as well as my most recent one-year term as chair. It has been an honor to serve the school and our Lord in this capacity.
In 2004, realizing that we would need an educational option for our son who would be entering kindergarten that year, my wife and I took out a map and identified every Christian school within an hour of where we were currently living. We visited every school in that circumference, but God made it abundantly clear to us that there was something different about Lima Christian. We knew that we wanted an LCS education for our children, but we didn’t know how we could possibly afford it on a pastor’s salary in a small, rural church.
It was then Principal Fred Meiners, who challenged me to trust that God was able. He reminded me that sometimes waters don’t part until feet get wet. In Joshua 3, we learn that God commanded the priests to take a step of faith and place their feet in the river Jordan before He would part the waters and allow His people to enter the Promised Land. God required a step of obedience, a commitment, an act of faith, before He would bring about a miracle in their lives.
I cannot tell you that it was always easy. Sometimes I taught at LCS to help pay our tuition bills, other times my wife cleaned the school during the overnight hours. In the early years, Lima Christian provided our family with financial assistance and sometimes God prompted the heart of a donor to pay a portion of our bill. A career change eventually enabled our family to pay our tuition in full without outside assistance. Through every single year of our three children attending and graduating from LCS, God, in one way or another, proved Himself faithful and our school bill was always paid.
After a brief two-year tenure teaching at LCS, I was invited to join the Board. After having served on the Board for fifteen of the last seventeen years, I can tell you that God has also always provided for the needs of our school. Sometimes that provision has come through a larger-than-expected reimbursement for state mandated services. Sometimes that provision has come through increased enrollment or donors who have stood with us in marvelous ways. Every year, though, God has proved Himself faithful to Lima Christian School. I know that He will continue to do so.
Just as God has provided for our financial needs, God has also prepared leaders for key seasons of our school’s history. This school would not be in existence today were it not for the vision of our founders, Pastor Noah and Edie Stoltzfus. Who can imagine LCS without a Principal Ron Davis or Ralph Dewey? There have been faculty and staff—far too many to mention here—who have been led to LCS and God has used to bless our students in spectacular ways. In 2021, God took a former basketball score keeper and elevated her to the position of principal at Lima Christian School. That woman, Vicky Britton, will soon be entering her third year in the principal’s chair. As someone who has worked closely with Principal Britton, I can tell you that I have seen a heart for Jesus and our students in her. She has the calling, the character and the competence to continue leading our school’s faculty, staff and administration. The stability in the school’s administration helps me know that now is the right time for me to transition off the Board.
Equally important though, is that the Board is in a good place with wise men and women who will continue to lead the school in the path that the Lord has for it. With my full support, the Board has chosen Mr. James Schwartz to serve as the next chairman of the Board. James Schwartz is a retired Professor of Education, most recently teaching at St. John Fisher College. He earned his Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University at Buffalo, and his MS and BS in Education at SUNY Geneseo. His twin daughters graduated from LCS in 1999. He taught at LCS from 1982 to 1990, and his wife Elaine taught English at LCS for many years. Three of their grandchildren currently attend LCS. You will find that James has a tender heart for our Lord, a wise mind of discernment and will prove to be a steady hand at the helm.
James is joined on the Board by Mrs. Theresa Dils, Pastor Tony LaBarca, Mrs. Mindy Christa, Mr. Nathan Sanders, Mr. David Sieling, Esq., Mr. Lee Teitsworth and Mrs. Lorraine Wichtowski. Background and biographical information on the Board is available under the “School Board” tab here.
Lima Christian School will always be an important part of the McGuire family’s story, and I intend to remain involved, particularly in the area of development. Next year, Lima Christian School will celebrate fifty years of ministry. I cannot wait to see what God will do in our next fifty!
Thank you for your love of Lima Christian School.
To God be the Glory!
Jason J. McGuire
Chairman of the Board (For Two More Days)
by 8Dweb CMSdefender | Jun 14, 2023
While most of our minds are on this weekend’s graduation ceremony and the summer to follow, the Board would like to take an opportunity to share some news with you.
Recently, the Lima Christian School Board and Crossroads Church (the school’s overseeing ministry) approved the budget for the 2023-24 Academic Year. Next year’s fiscal plan totals $1,647,972, an increase of 13 percent over the 2022-23 Budget. Tuition makes up about 85 percent of the school’s income, while charitable contributions account for 10 percent, and other income (such as state reimbursement for mandated services and grant funding) account for the final 5 percent.
On the expense side of the ledger, faculty and staff salaries account for 73 percent of the annual plan, while the remaining 27 percent covers all other expenses (transportation, sports, student supplies, utilities, etc.). LCS continues to be tremendously blessed under Crossroads’ covering that supplies our school with many things that allow Lima Christian to keep our expenses minimal and tuition as affordable as possible to as many students as possible.
The following are some highlights from the approved budget that we think you will appreciate:
- The school is entering in a three-way contract with the Town of Lima and the HF-L School District to provide a school resource officer from the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department. The school resource deputy (SRD) will be a welcome addition and help provide an additional layer of security for our campus.
- This year’s tuition increase of five percent matches the five percent increase the school was able to make to faculty and staff base pay.
- The administration is hiring additional staff to bridge student learning gaps and extra educational needs. We are welcoming a 6th Grade Core Teacher, as well as a remedial writing and math instructor.
- Parents will be pleased to know that we have contracted with a new, more comprehensive, and user-friendly software package to replace the Sycamore system.
Finally, we want to highlight a few of the many things that LCS has been able to accomplish in the last few years.
First, realizing that it is our faculty and staff that make the ministry of Lima Christian School possible, the Board has been striving to make our salaries more competitive with other private, Christian schools in the area. Lima Christian’s ability to attract and retain excellent staff requires that our pay scale better reflect what others in ministry-minded education provide. While we still have a way to go, we are pleased that we have been able to increase faculty and staff base pay by over 32 percent in the last four years.
Second, we have completely overhauled and replaced our outdated computers with current machines that are better equipped for today’s educational demands. In addition to this, the school increased its ability to monitor and protect students while online.
Third, we were able—through God’s grace and in partnership with many special donors—replaced one of the school’s two vans. The new van has been well received by the students, coaches and staff that have appreciated a roomier, more comfortable, and more reliable mode of transportation for field trips and sports events.
These are only some of the ways in which we see our Lord continually provide for Lima Christian School.
Should you have any thoughts about what has been presented, you can reach Principal Britton via email or at (585) 624-3841. The Board can also be reached via email.
To God be the glory!
by 8Dweb CMSdefender | May 15, 2023
Student safety and security is a top concern for many of our families. Your student’s safety is also a priority of the Lima Christian School Board.
In recent years, Lima Christian has invested significantly in hardening our school. Now, we are prepared to take the next step. At last Thursday’s meeting, the Board voted to approve a plan that will provide an armed school resource officer (SRO) for the 2023-24 Academic Year.
The proposal involves a three-way, cost-sharing agreement with the town of Lima and the local public school, Lima Primary. This novel, public-private partnership will allow the three entities to partner with the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office in contracting to provide a full-time SRO who would split his or her time between the two schools and be available for priority calls in the town of Lima. Having a law enforcement officer stationed in Lima would dramatically reduce response time and increase public safety for the entire community.
While the LCS Board has already voted to approve the funding for this endeavor, the Lima Town Board has scheduled a public hearing to receive community input regarding its share of the funding. That hearing will be held on Tuesday, June 6, beginning at 6:15 PM at the Lima Town Hall (7329 East Main St., Lima, NY 14485). Interested parties (particularly Lima residents) are encouraged to attend and voice their support for this plan. It is expected that Lima Primary will also host a public hearing prior to authorizing funds for its portion of the proposal.
Should you have any thoughts about this or any other matter, you can reach Principal Britton via email or at (585) 624-3841. The Board can also be reached via email.
by 8Dweb CMSdefender | Mar 28, 2023
The news out of Nashville is devastating.
Covenant School, a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church, is a private, faith-based school of approximately 200 students and 50 staff in Nashville, Tennessee. Yesterday, a former student of the school, in a mass shooting, took the lives of three current students and three staff members.
This has been a subject of prayerful concern among our faculty and staff today. We expect it has been among your household as well. Please join us in lifting the Covenant School community before the Lord in this time of tremendous tragedy.
Realizing that we live in a sin-stricken world and that evil can occur anywhere, over the last several years, Lima Christian has taken several steps to harden our school. Some of those measures have included: electronic locks, application of shatter-proof film to entry doors, limiting points of entry, video surveillance, identification-before-entry policies, lockdown drills, coordination with the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office and increased law enforcement patrols.
Know that your student’s safety is a top priority for Lima Christian School.
Can we do more? Always.
This is why, some months ago, Principal Vicky Britton brought a proposal to the School Board that we contract with East Canyon Security (ECS) to improve our safety and security protocols. The Board unanimously approved this contract.
ECS is owned and operated by Mr. Robert Holt. Mr. Holt is a 10-year law enforcement veteran and school resource officer. He has been partnering with LCS to provide planning, preparation, procedure development and faculty and staff professional development. In fact, Holt, acting in his private capacity, provided an in-depth emergency training workshop at the school’s last professional development day.
Finally, your student(s) has undoubtedly heard some of the reporting regarding Covenant School. They may not yet know how to articulate their thoughts and concerns regarding this matter. Gently, and when appropriate, please check in on your child(ren). While we strive to provide a safe learning space for your student(s) and have a counselor on campus, emotionally your child(ren) may have some things to process that are most appropriate in a home setting.
Should you have any questions, you can reach Principal Britton via email or at (585) 624-3841. The Board can be reached via email as well.
Thank you for your continued prayers for the Lord’s protective covering over the hearts and minds of our students, as well as our physical campus.
by 8Dweb CMSdefender | Mar 6, 2023
Lima, NY— Lima Christian School is pleased to present the musical Disney’s Descendants: The Musical on Friday, March 10, at 7 pm and Saturday, March 11, at 2 pm and 7 pm. The musical will take place at the Honeoye Falls-Lima high school auditorium in Honeoye Falls, NY.
Descendants: The Musical is based on all three Disney Channel original Descendants movies. The stage version features an updated book and boasts a contemporary pop score, including songs from all three of the Disney Channel original movies, including “Rotten to the Core,” “If Only,” “Chillin’ Like a Villain,” and “Break This Down.”
In Descendants: The Musical, Disney’s favorite heroines and heroes live happily ever after in the shimmering kingdom of Auradon. Meanwhile, the world’s most evil villains have been banished to the Isle of the Lost and stripped of all magic and evil power. Ben, the beloved son of King Beast and Queen Belle, is about to be crowned as King of Auradon. When he optimistically invites four trouble-making offspring of the most wicked villains to come to Auradon Prep School as exchange students, it could usher in a new era of acceptance and unity or spell certain disaster. Will Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos–the children of Maleficent, Grimhilde, Jafar, and Cruella de Vil–accomplish their plan to steal Fairy Godmother’s wand and restore their parents to power? Or will they find the strength to choose goodness instead?
“One of the songs in the show says, ‘The road could be hard and the night could be dark, but like stars we’ll shine brightly wherever we are,’” says director Bethany Warsaw. “As we’ve learned during the past few years, we need each other, and we need to work together to bring light into the darkness. This musical shows that we are stronger when we work together, no matter what our backgrounds are, what we look like, or where we come from.”
Disney’s Descendants is recommended for children of all ages and is approximately two hours long with an intermission. Tickets are $6 for students and $8 for adults. They are available at the school office, for cash sale at the door, or online at www.seatyourself.biz/limachristian. For more information, call Lima Christian School at (585) 624-3841 or email bwarsaw@limachristian.org.
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Lima Christian School is a private, faith-based, Pre-K through 12th-grade day school in Lima, NY. LCS is accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International. It provides academic excellence, a nurturing environment, and a strong community to help students discover their God-given talents and prepare them for a life honoring Jesus Christ.
