One of Clark County’s private schools is working to expand its offerings into the high school sphere as they get ready to take over the current location of one of Battle Ground Public Schools’ alternative schools next year.
Cornerstone Christian Academy bought the current CAM Academy building located at 715 NW Onsdorff Blvd. for about $3.5 million back in June. The building, which currently houses a third through 12th grade program for BGPS, was put up for sale by former BGPS teacher Gary Albers, who asked Cornerstone to visit the property and consider purchasing the building.
The building will house some of Cornerstone’s upper grades and its nascent high school program, a first for the school, Superintendent Sandra Yager said.
The school conducted a survey of its staff to garner feedback on how to make the shift, Yager explained. Through the survey and discussions with the school’s board of directors, Yager said an agreement was reached to keep early childhood education and kindergarten through fourth grades at the Brush Prairie site, while fifth grade through high school will be housed at the Battle Ground campus where CAM Academy currently is. Fifth through eighth grades would also be offered at Cornerstone Christian Academy’s current site during the transition period.
“It takes quite a bit of planning,” Yager said.
She said Cornerstone’s high school program would begin with ninth grade students and add more grades as the years progress.
Buying a building formerly used as a school has its advantages. Yager said the new building already has distinct areas for different levels of education. It’s been added to and built up over the years through expansions as CAM Academy grew.
Cornerstone is currently looking at choices in carpeting and the building’s wireless internet infrastructure.
“This is like a new beginning,” Yager said.
Yager did not know how much it would cost to refit the building. She said the money from the lease agreement with CAM Academy for this school year would cover the expenses.
BGPS has leased the building since the mid-1990s. At the time of approval, the lease for the current school year was estimated at about $525,000.
Cornerstone has a total of about 250 K-8 students for the 2021-2022 school year, with an additional 100 kids in the early childhood education program. Prior to the Brush Prairie location, the school was primarily housed near Faith Center Church in Vancouver.
Yager said Cornerstone has always wanted to build a school at the Brush Prairie location ever since they moved there.
“When this opportunity came, and being able to purchase a building for the amount of money that we did, … you feel like God is really (helping) you,” Yager said.
She said an initial $1 million donation was earmarked specifically for the purchase of the building.
“We are really excited. I think this moves us forward in a much faster way to have a building that is a more permanent brick and mortar place for our families,” Yager said.
As for CAM Academy’s future home, it’s planned to shift slightly south.
In a letter sent to families on Jan. 21, BGPS Superintendent Denny Waters explained the school would move to the district’s Lewisville campus.
A survey sent out to the school’s families showed a desire to keep all grades in one location. The survey also showed the district’s Lewisville campus in central Battle Ground was the prime location.
In the letter, Waters said the district plans to move modular buildings onto the campus in order to house the school. The relocation would include a cafeteria, library, a covered play area and administrative offices alongside the classrooms. The campus will be fully fenced.
Due to permitting processes, the full realization of the campus will take years, Waters wrote. In the meantime, BGPS will use existing buildings at the Lewisville campus to house CAM Academy.
The modular buildings used to house the school will be purchased through impact fees, Waters wrote. The fees are leveled on new construction in the school’s jurisdiction in order to help growth.
Waters stated the district considered a number of locations for the school, and said with the feedback, BGPS was able to secure the future of the district’s school.
“We recognize that this highly respected and valued alternative program is important for many of our families and provides an option that fits the needs of many students,” Waters wrote.
