This article is written and sponsored by Trinity Academy.
Trinity Academy: A Script No One Could Write
The idea of Trinity Academy started in 1992 with three families who were good friends – Bob and Roxie Smith, Bill and Jennifer Nath, and Pete and Debbie Ochs. The families were at a retreat, and they began to talk about where to send their children for high school.
“We had a vision for what a high school ought to be,” said Pete Ochs. “All of us had a great high school experience ourselves, and we wanted that for our sons and daughters as well — one that was really Christ-centered.”
So they agreed to pray daily, meet weekly and see what God would have for them. After four or five months, they felt they had done all they could do. So they asked God to show them whether to move forward or stop.
Within a couple of weeks, they got a call from the elder board at Central Christian Church. The board brought them in and questioned them about their vision for the school. And at the end of the meeting, they said, “We’ve had an elderly family give us 20 acres for a Christian high school. We’re not going to do a high school, so we’re going to give you that land.”
The land was worth $500,000. The men sat and wept.
By June 1994, they had hired a great faculty, had some money in the bank, and Central Community Church in west Wichita had given them space to launch the school.
“We were all set up and ready to roll. We only had one problem: We had no students,” laughed Ochs.
The school was slated to open two months later, but by this time, only eight or nine students were enrolled, and the men decided to pull the plug on the school.
Fortunately, they had three older mentors: Marvin Martin, George Fooshee, and Glen Zumwalt. And their mentors began to question them.
“Did God give you the $500,000 piece of land?”
“Well, yes.”
“Did he give you $500,000 in cash?”
“Yes.”
“Did he provide you with a great faculty and a great place where the school could begin?”
“Yes.”
“So you’re just going to walk away from that?”
Ochs says they told their mentors “Yes” once again! But very quickly, the tide turned, and the mentors encouraged them to pray.
“How many students do you want?” asked the mentors.
“We really want 80.”
“How many do you need to make it work?” asked the mentors.
“We have to have 40.”
They agreed to pray for 60, and two months later, Trinity opened its doors to 61 students.
Today, Trinity Academy has grown 10-fold. The school has expanded to include grades K-12 and has an enrollment of 615.
“Trinity’s story is a script no one could write,” said Pete Ochs. “It’s God’s story. It’s a story of people coming together prayerfully to see God work. It’s a story of great community.”
Student Life at Trinity Academy
So why the rapid growth?
Excellent academics certainly play a role. Standardized test scores place Trinity’s K-8 classes a semester to two years ahead of grade level. In addition, the average Trinity high schooler will graduate with 30 hours of college credit, and the average ACT score is nearly 5 points higher than the state average.
Award-winning fine arts is a factor too. In the past year, both vocal music and band received #1 ratings at State Festival, and the drama program won the award for Outstanding Production from Music Theatre Wichita’s Jester program.
Athletics are also important. The school offers 20 varsity level sports, and In the past year, Trinity has brought home state trophies in six of them.
Yes, academics, fine arts, and athletics are important to the Trinity community. But the number one reason families give for choosing Trinity is spiritual life.
Spiritual life is the heartbeat of the school and THE reason the school exists. Bible classes, Chapels, service opportunities, missions trips and more help shape young people into Christ followers.
Learn More About Trinity Academy
Trinity invites interested families to come see what the buzz is all about! Call 316-634-0909 or email [email protected] to arrange a tour or shadow day, or visit our website to learn more.
