The ABC's of school furniture

-by Robert H. Welch

Christian schools, educating in both general curricula and biblical training, have grown in number and influence over the last 50 years. What motivates churches to enter the academic environment? Some want to provide Christian-based schooling for their children. Others want to counter the moral and ethical decline prevalent in public school systems. Still others see their Christian school as a service to the community or as an evangelistic ministry.

Look Before You Leap
Despite such admirable goals, churches sometimes jump into the school business without realizing the costs of a quality education. It's tempting to think that a church facility used primarily on weekends can serve as a school during the week without much expense. But it's not that easy.

"Improper planning has probably contributed to more mistakes in the provision of physical facilities than any other factor," say Deuink and Herbster in Effective Christian School Management. Unless you build a separate facility for a Christian school, you'll be using the same rooms used for church programs on Sundays and Wednesdays. With proper planning, though, it's possible to use your church space to provide high-quality Christian education.

Setting the Foundation
Four questions to answer before planning a Christian school:

1. Does your church support the idea? How do your Sunday school teachers, musicians, program leaders, and others who will share space and equipment with the school feel about it?

2. Is your church willing to make the necessary financial commitment to start and maintain a school?

3. Will your facility meet the space requirements for a school? National standards recommend at least 25 square feet per student for academic space. Indoor recreation, music activities, science and computer laboratories, and auditoriums require additional room. Also plan for nonacademic space (cafeteria, restrooms, and offices).

4. Will your facility meet state and local guidelines? Many codes lump all academic institutions (including churches) into one category. Sometimes these codes do not include church schools, but the courts do. Attorneys often recommend that church schools provide for safety, space, and personal accommodations, even if they appear to be exempt from certain guidelines.

How Much Will It Cost?
Initial expenses depend on present church facilities, equipment and furnishings, and how many students are expected to attend.

Example: Your church wants to start a school with 100 students, kindergarten through sixth grade. You'll need seven rooms, each at least 375 square feet (15' x 25') to meet the national standard of 25 square feet per student. You'll also need space for offices, a media center or library, a cafeteria, and recreation. If adding junior- or senior-high students is a possibility, you'll need to plan additional space for laboratories, trade skills, and music rooms.

Furnishings and Equipment
Classrooms must be equipped with furnishings appropriate to the students' age and height. For instance, a kindergartener uses a chair with a 9.8" seat height and a 13.5" table height. A third grader needs a chair with a 14" seat height and a 18.6" high table. A sixth grader requires a chair near adult height (18.8") and a 29.6" high table. Suggestion: A wise purchase includes tables with adjustable legs to accommodate multiple heights. Chairs, however, must be age and height specific.

Numerous professional and trade organizations provide checklists of appropriate equipment needs for a new school. Also, many denominations and diocese organizations employ full-time consultants to assist churches in organizing and implementing Christian academies and schools. (See "Resources.")

David Culpepper, principal of Statesville Christian School in Statesville, North Carolina, oversees a 125-student K-6 school. As Culpepper organized the school, he recorded his mistakes, successes, and insights. His suggestions regarding school equipment appear in the accompanying charts, along with data from trade publications. The costs are tabulated to meet the needs of a seven-classroom school (K-6) with 100 students, 7 faculty, and 2 administrators. Note: Assume the school will use a church facility already equipped with adequate tables and chairs. Computers are not included in these estimates due to wide price ranges and varying standards. Newsweek (Fall/Winter special issue, 1996) suggests 7 students per computer as ideal, though most public schools have more than 15 students per computer.

Note: This price list is based on manufacturer's suggested retail prices and doesn't reflect bulk purchases or other discounts. Add about $100 per classroom for miscellaneous items such as clocks, pencil sharpeners, and staplers. Consumable supplies add additional expenses.

Money-Saving Tips
Reduce start-up expenses with the following suggestions:

—Share the church office space with the school administration. As the school grows, expand accordingly.
—Create a computer lab to be shared by all grades rather than install computers in each classroom. Use height-adjustable computer stations.
—Provide inexpensive, plastic-covered containers in a central storage area for students' personal supplies to eliminate storage space conflicts with Sunday school classes. Bonus: Plastic containers can be carried by students wherever needed.
—Use existing church facilities (kitchen, library, fellowship hall, toilets) rather than separate counterparts for the school.
—Use existing media equipment (vcr, tv, projectors) and music resources.

Starting a Christian school in a church facility is exciting, yet it requires careful planning and attention to detail. Recommended: Form a committee or task force to collect as much information as possible from reputable sources. Talk to other churches or organizations with existing Christian schools, and ask public school teachers in your congregation for their input, along with church parents who are home-schooling their children. Critically inspect the space you hope to use for the school to see if it meets safety, lighting, and security standards.

Robert H. Welch, Ph.D., is assistant professor of administration at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.

Media center and library Shelf space (15 books per student, 100 students)$2,000
(approximately 200' at $10 per linear foot) 3 6' tables ($325)$975

20 stack chairs ($46) $920
Librarian's desk and chair $875
Electronic learning aids (estimated) $4,000
(overhead projector, movie projector, video/TV systems, etc.)
Computer, stand, and printer - Estimated media and library cost (without computers) $8,770
Teacher workroom and lounge (7 teachers, 2 administrators)
Folding 8' work table $142
10 folding chairs $180
Refrigerator, microwave, coffee machine, etc. $1,000
1 locker per staff member ($209) $1,881
Mail bin $267
Workroom equipment cost $3,470

Classroom (1 teacher, 14.5 students)
Teacher's desk with lockable drawers and chair $875
Teacher's four-drawer filing cabinet with lock $350
Supply closet (or 3'x1.5'x6' cabinet) with lock $390
Chalk or white board, 1 linear foot per student $609
Bulletin board (4'x4') $135
1 storage locker per student ($41.50) $602
Bookshelf, 1 linear foot per student (@$13.25) $192
Computers, carts, and computer printer - Equipment cost per classroom (without computers) $3,153

Resources - Furniture and equipment

Adirondack Direct
3101 Vernon Blvd.
Long Island City, NY 11106
800/221-2410

Brainard Enterprises
3628 29th St. S.E.
Kentwood, MI 49512
800/606-5020

Ezell Company
1569 Wilmington Blvd.
Wilmington, CA 90744
800/643-4400

Jonti-Craft, Inc.
P.O. Box 30
Wabasso, MN 56293
800/860-5617

Purchasing Groups

Christian Purchasing Network
3231 Gulf Gate Dr. Suite 204
Sarasota FL 34231
800/795-6274

National Church Purchasing Group
8108 Virginia Manor Dr.
Mechanicsville, VA 23111
800/795-6274

Evangelical Purchasing Service
515 Palliser St.
Johnstown, PA 15905
800/445-6791

Organizations and Publications

Association of Christian Schools International
P.O. Box 35097
Colorado Springs, CO 80935-3509
719/528-6906

The Christian School Administrator Great River Publishers
4715 Spotswood Ave.
Memphis, TN 38117-4818
901/762-0329
(The summer issue contains a national directory of products and services for Christian schools.)

Books Manual of Administration for New and Young Christian Schools
J.W. Braley, ACSI
P.O. Box 4097, Whittier, CA 90607

Effective Christian School Management
J.W. Deuink and C.D. Herbster
Bob Jones University Press, Greenville, SC 29614

The Successful Christian School
A.A. Baker, Beka Book Publications
Pensacola Christian College, Box 18000, Pensacola, FL 32523

Office (2 administrative personnel)

Secretary Workstation

Rubbermaid WorkmanTM L-shaped system
(two 48" tables, corner table, printer cart, and chair) $1,360

Administrator's Office

Hon 9200 series desk, credenza, bookcase and chair $3,935

Four-drawer file cabinets
(2 per 100 students, 1 per administrator )$648

4 reception chairs $294

Supply storage cabinets (3'x1.5'x6') (1 per 10 students) $390

Typewriter and stand $528

Copier cart $303
(assume use of rental copier)

Utility cart $175

Folding 8' work table, with six folding chairs $250

Coat rack $269

Computers (1/office personnel) and computer printer

Office equipment cost (without computers or copier) $8,152

Copyright © 1997 by Christianity Today International/YOUR CHURCH magazine.
March/April 1997. Volume 43, No.2 Page 40

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