A dream born of much prayer and sweat came to fruition this week, with the opening of Acacia Academy, a classical Christian school.

Administrator Rob Hoshaw said in the current economy, he had worried about enrollment, but when school started Monday, there were 24 children in four classes, from kindergarten through eighth grade.

In a time when it seems parents could cut back on expenses like private school tuition, Acacia Academy and F.D. Reese Christian Academy opened this month, and administrators at several existing private schools have reported increased enrollment for the new school year.

Therese Bath, development director at Sts. Joan of Arc and Patrick School, where enrollment was up 20 students, said the downturn in the economy seems to have the opposite of the expected effect.

“If the economy is guiding your decisions, you would expect our enrollment to be down. I think the change in our economy has made people look more closely at what is most important to them,” she said. The school has students pre-school through eighth grade.

Rob Hoshaw, who founded Acacia Academy with his wife, Martha, said they did not set a number of kids they needed to open their school, which is housed in the education wing at Main Street United Methodist Church.

“Whatever God provided was the critical mass,” he said.

He said only three students who had started the admissions process did not enroll because of the cost of tuition, and he added that about 60 percent of the students are receiving financial assistance.

Martha Hoshaw said even in a time of economic difficulty, parents are willing to pay for what they think is the best option for their children.

“The economic challenges are making people realize what truly is important. Family and education are important,” she said.

Rob Hoshaw thinks parents like Acacia Academy because of the curriculum and the emphasis on character. Martha Hoshaw said it is the only school in Howard County using the classical Christian model.

Martha Hoshaw said the classical method is “tried and true,” and students from those programs earn many National Merit Scholarships and have higher SAT scores than other students. If there is no classical high school, she added, they transfer back into public schools ahead of the curves.

Long-term, though, the Hoshaws hope to expand into high school at some point.

Suzette Randall, principal of Kokomo Christian School, said there seems to be more than enough Christian pre-schools, and not too many elementary schools, but she also sees a need for a high school.

“I wish we could get together and combine our schools, especially for the high school, one centralized Christian high school.”

Kokomo Christian used to have a middle and high school, but closed it a few years ago because of declining enrollment. This year, the school added back sixth grade, she said.

Enrollment at Kokomo Christian School is up by 10 students from last year, and has been strong since last spring, Randall said.

“At the end of May before school was out, we already had 78 enrolled,” she said, adding she had worried people would find that private school tuition was an area in which they could make cuts.

“We were just trusting the Lord. Tuition is a stretch for some. For most, this is what they want, and they’re determined to have it. Others are living by faith, one day at a time, praying the money will come in.”

She said Kokomo Christian School has a small amount of financial aid available each year.

She thinks enrollment would be even higher if more tuition assistance was available.

“I really, honestly believe if we could get people the money to pay the tuition, our private schools would be overflowing with people. It’s the tuition that’s holding people back. It’s sad people are wanting it, but just can’t afford it.”

Randall said she can’t really explain why enrollment has increased.

“We don’t know, other than the shape of the world may be turning some people back to their faith.”

Ruth Lavrenz, principal of Redeemer Lutheran School, thinks a bill in the Indiana legislature to provide assistance for private school tuition may help further increase enrollment.

Lavrenz said she was surprised, because at a recent Lutheran school conference, she heard from principals at Indianapolis schools that they are having to close because of declining enrollment, while her Kokomo school is up nine students.

“Howard County is one of the counties that’s hurting financially, and we’re still getting new students,” she said. “This is a priority for [parents]. I know some families where both parents are working because this is important to them. ... It’s not that they want a private education, they want a Christian education.”

Patricia Anderson, interim principal at F.D. Reese Christian Academy, which opened in August at Mount Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church, said school planners worried the economy meant it was a poor time to open a new school.

“It was still God’s time. We are a Christian school. It was on the hearts and minds of the people at this time to open at this season. ... All of our families are working class and struggling, but felt willing to make this sacrifice for their kids to have a religous education.”

She said so far, there are four children enrolled in the pre-K and kindergarten programs, and plans are to expand at least to first grade next year. She expects continued enrollment through the year as people see the students’ progress.

At Sts. Joan of Arc and Patrick School, Bath thinks the school’s academic reputation and parents’ belief in Catholic education are driving enrollment. The school also picked up four students from Miami County this year, after St. Charles Borromeo School in Peru closed.

She said members of the two Catholic parishes can receive financial aid for tuition from an endowment. Requests for that assistance were up about 25 percent, she said.

She does not know of any families who removed their children from the school because they could no longer afford the tuition.

Robert Creppy is the father of a second-grader at Sts. Joan of Arc and Patrick School. He said his family chose the school based on recommendations from other parents, and because they are Catholic and wanted the faith-based school.

He said his family has made Catholic education a priority.

“It’s a little bit of a reach to pay it, but I think it’s worth the sacrifice,” he said.

Chris Dieterman’s daughter is enrolled at Acacia Academy, which she said is a stretch financially for her family, because she’s been at home with children for 10 years.

Dieterman said her family did not apply for financial assistance, thinking others could use the help more.

“We knew it was going to be tight for us, but we knew we could probably swing it,” she said, adding that may change if her son, who is home schooled this year, goes to Acacia next year, too.

“We would have to look at aid or me getting a part-time job,” she said. “It is that important. The biblical worldview is exceptionally important.”

• Danielle Rush is the Kokomo Tribune education reporter. She can be reached at (765) 454-8585 or danielle.rush@kokomotribune.com.