History

The history of Grace Academy is closely integrated with the history of Grace Baptist Church, an organization started many years earlier. In 1978, Dr. Steve Euler became the pastor of this small Baptist church in the East Brainerd area. The church grew very rapidly, incorporating many young families who needed ministries to help them train their children. 

The church enlarged its ministry potential by the foresighted purchase of sixteen acres of land and the addition of a number of new facilities to provide for the growing church. Following the completion of a new educational wing and auditorium, the pastor and many in the church family saw the need to start a Christian school, primarily to serve the needs of their children. On January 8, 1984, the congregation voted to prepare for the school and projected an opening date of August 1985. 

The school’s first year began with a surprisingly large enrollment of 242 students with the second year drawing over 400 students. The church voted on April 15, 1986, to refinance all of the church properties and to add a gymnasium/classroom building as a junior/senior high facility. In the fall of 1992, new fund raising began for a middle school building. In August of 1996, the ground floor was completed and in  August of 1999, the second floor was opened to begin the school year. The elementary building was completed in August of 2007.

In addition to classroom facilities being added to the landscape of Grace Academy, several other projects and buildings have been completed as well. The soccer field lights were added in the spring of 1995. A new Children’s Center was opened in 2004. In the spring of 2006, lights were added to a new football field, the baseball field, and the softball field. 

Currently, the Boosters are working on a project called the Gateway Project. This project will be completed in three phases. The first phase, which has just been completed, consists of fencing and a concrete spectator area known as The Plaza. The Plaza includes seating and a new concession stand. The second phase is a facility that has locker rooms, athletic offices, and athletic training and weight rooms. The third phase is an addition on to the middle school building that will provide a press box for the football and baseball fields as well as additional locker rooms and classrooms.