Our History
Calvary Academy opened its doors on September 8, 1970, as a K-9th grade Christian school operating out of Calvary Reformed Church in South Holland, IL. Subsequently, the school added grades 10-12 to become a full K-12th grade institution. The founder of the school was Rev. Ronald Brown, then the pastor of Calvary Reformed Church. He, along with a small group of business men, held a vision of Christian education for Christian families across denominational and racial lines. The beginning enrollment was 125 students served by eight teachers.
The school continued to grow, moving to its current location in 1971. In 1989, Spirit of God Fellowship became the spiritual oversight of the school, as well as the owner of the school’s buildings and property. This change in school leadership paved a new path for Calvary with the elimination of the high school and a renewed vision to focus on excellence at the elementary and junior high grade levels. This emphasis on increased excellence culminated in June of 1994 with the completion of Calvary’s first accreditation through the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). Calvary successfully completed its fourth reaccreditation in the spring of 2016.
Over the past 25 years Calvary Academy has expanded its campus through four major building projects: the current day care, an addition to the fourth/fifth grade wing which includes an art room, an addition for the upstairs junior high wing, and a third addition that includes a state of the art gym, concession room, band room, new library, science lab, computer lab and additional upstairs classrooms. Calvary’s facilities are well maintained, spacious, and provide an ideal setting for education.
Today the school serves families from 84 different churches and 28 communities. The 2015-2016 school enrollment included 326 students served by 25 teachers. Calvary Academy continues to provide a Christ centered education with a strong academic foundation. Students at Calvary Academy are challenged in their faith and academics so that they may be successful in society and have the tools with which to impact their world for Christ.