The Ingrams of Hartwood and other home-school families plan to open a Christian-based high school in North Stafford. Working on lessons at home are (from left) Amy Ingram, holding her 3-year-old Abby, Hannah, 7, Denny, 10, and Rachel, 13. ram View More Images from this story Visit the Photo Place

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Home-schooling extension

Local home-school parents form a Christian high school that keeps home-schooling basis

By JESSICA ALLEN and KELLY HANNON

Date published: 3/29/2004

Parents form private school for upper-grade education

Kristi Lisech knew she wanted to home-school her children before they were even born.

The Stafford County resident, who majored in education, said she remembered telling professors in college that one-on-one teaching was more effective than a group setting.

Parents can customize their children's education based on their individual needs, she told her teachers.

In addition, home-schooling would allow Lisech the ability to pass along her Christian faith to her children in a school setting, she said.

So it's no surprise that she has spent the last nine years home-schooling her four children.

But as her eldest son, Andrew, prepares to enter high school level this fall, Lisech said she realized she needs a little help.

"I still believe one-on-one teaching is effective," she said. "But I don't have the expertise to teach upper-level subjects, and he needs more academic challenges."

Plus, Lisech said she wanted her son to have more interaction with other students to prepare him for college.

But she had few alternatives.

Public school didn't seem to be the right environment because God isn't emphasized, she said.

"The Bible is the foundation and guide of all knowledge and basic to all elements to education," she said.

The nearest religious school for her teenage son, Fredericksburg Christian High School, is 45 minutes away from her home. Lisech said she would have to go back to work to afford to send him there. The school's yearly tuition for high school level is $5,268.

So Lisech and three other home-school parents formed Grace Preparatory School--a combination of private Christian school and home-school.

A member of the National Association of University-Model Schools, Grace Preparatory will hold classes for students three days a week. Homework will be assigned for the remaining two days.

The school will give parents a break from teaching, but still allow them to have control over their children's education, she said.

There are 25 schools in the country that work with the Texas-based association. This will be the first one in Virginia. A school in Chesapeake has a similar setup, but is not affiliated with the association.

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Date published: 3/29/2004