MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
Central Christian Schools is asking the community to help meet a $75,000 matching challenge this month as the private school works to close out its fiscal year and continue providing tuition assistance for families.
Superintendent Dr. John Walker announced that an anonymous family has pledged to match donations dollar-for-dollar through July 31, providing up to $75,000 in matching funds for gifts made to the school's general operating fund.
Walker said the school depends heavily on community support because tuition does not cover the full cost of educating students.
"We're charging about 65 to 70 percent of what it costs to educate a child," Walker said. "We're automatically applying a 30 to 35 percent discount for every family that comes to our school, and that general fund is extremely important to continue supporting our families and keeping tuition as low as possible."
The fundraising campaign comes as Central Christian wraps up its 2025-26 fiscal year and prepares for the 2026-27 school year. Walker said recurring monthly donations have become an important source of predictable funding for the school.
He said the school hopes to eventually have 2,500 supporters giving $25 per month, allowing administrators to better plan future budgets and fundraising efforts. Donations of all sizes are accepted, with some supporters contributing as little as $5 each month and others giving several hundred dollars.
Donations can be made online through the school's website, by mail, or in person beginning July 6 when school offices reopen following the holiday week. Donors may also make recurring monthly gifts through the online giving portal.
As preparations continue for the upcoming school year, Walker said Central Christian is welcoming new teachers, staff members and families while continuing to fill several employment openings. Current positions include a secondary band instructor, after-school care staff and childcare employees.
Walker also said the school's early education center continues to experience strong demand but remains below capacity because of staffing shortages, a challenge he said is being felt by childcare providers throughout Reno County. The center currently maintains a waiting list of families seeking enrollment.
To help recruit employees, Central Christian offers free childcare for staff members with children enrolled in its early education program, along with discounted tuition for employees with students in the K-12 school.
The new school year is expected to begin in mid-August, with a back-to-school event planned before classes start.