North Florida Christian School

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North Florida Christian School (NFCS) is a private Christian school located in Tallahassee, Florida that was founded as a segregation academy. The school has classes from K3 to 12th grade, and it serves students from several counties in north Florida and South Georgia.

The school is a ministry of Florida Baptist Church, formerly known as Temple Baptist Church. In 2016-2017, tuition was about $7,000.

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History

Originally known as Tallahassee Christian School, it was founded in 1966 by Temple Baptist Church pastor Rayburn L. Blair and headmaster James Pound. Pound served as principal and school superintendent until his retirement in 1988.

Although the school is open today to students of all races, it was founded by white parents, one of several segregation academies started in response to the federally mandated racial integration of Leon County Schools.

Among the parents who withdrew their children form public schools and enrolled them at NFCS were Board of Regents member Fred Parker and state senator Miley Miers. Parker told the AP that he enrolled his four children in NFCS because he didn't want them to be subject to desegregation busing. Parker added that an advantage of NFCS was that the private school's bus service had a stop near his home. Miers said he moved her three children to NFCS since so they would not "suffer" from the end of the separate-but-equal doctrine.

In 1970, NFCS signed an agreement to lease the Old Sealey School campus from the Leon County school board. In response to the lease, the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare blocked the public school system from receiving a $200,000 federal grant since the school board was aiding a racially segregated private school.

In 1975, school head James Pound told the Tallahassee Democrat that the school had turned down all black applicants to avoid racial conflict at the school.

In 1978, NFCS expelled three students because their parents tried to start a parent teacher organization independent of the school. About 100 parents attempted to form the PTA to improve academic standards at the NFCS. The school, which at the time had over 1700 students, sent a letter to all parents explaining that if they disagreed with the church's administration of the school, they should withdraw their children.

School faculty of Tallahassee Christian helped establish Gadsden Christian Academy (now known as the Tallavanna Christian School) in Gadsden County.

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Student activities

North Florida Christian School has a range of fine arts opportunities including instruction in instrumental and vocal music, pep band, jazz band, drama and musicals, praise and worship performance music, the visual arts, and theatre. There is also a chapel programs. Music students compete in the Florida Association of Christian Colleges and School Fine Arts festivals and the NFCS Band participates in the Florida Bandmasters Association assessments.

North Florida Christian School Band - Christmas Concert 2015 - YouTube

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Accreditation

NFCS is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the Florida Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, and the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation.

Boys Basketball - North Florida Christian School

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Athletics

1986 FHSAA player eligibility controversy

In 1986, the NFCS football team included a student who transferred in violation of FHSAA regulations. Upon learning of the eligibility violation, the FHSAA ordered NFCS to retroactively forfeit each game play with the ineligible player, which would make NFCS ineligible for the playoffs. NFCS sued in state court and was granted an emergency injection allowing it to participate in the playoffs. A three judge panel from the Florida First District Court of Appeal later upheld the ruling and permanently enjoined FHSAA from barring the student's participation.