Hood County Texas Genealogical Society
OAK TRAIL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
Hood
County News - May 15, 2002
Hood County's oldest private school is closing its doors.
Oak Trail Christian Academy is quietly ending its 23-year history on Friday, May 24.
"It was the decision of the church (sponsor Oak Trail Baptist) to close
the school," pastor Mike Whisenant said. "We took various things
under consideration in making our decision. The membership of the church
decided that closing was just what we needed to do."
Whisenant would not elaborate on the closing, but the school has seen a steady
drop in enrollment over the years.
The school will end with about 35 students, down from the record high of about
90 in the mid-1980s.
The school was founded in 1979 under the leadership of principal James
Thompson. Thompson is still active with the school and serves on the board of
deacons at Oak Trail Baptist.
During the school's early years football reigned. In 1983, under the leadership
of coach Dale Moore, the Eagle team brought home the 8-man small-school
football title from the National Association of Christian Athletes. The team
was runner-up in 1984, finished fourth in 1985 and won a second national title
in 1986.
Last fall, the school opted to end the football program after just three games.
Whisenant says the decision was made because of a lack of participation.
Eighty students have received their diplomas from Oak Trail Christian including
two students who attended the school from kindergarten through their
graduation. Three students will graduate this year.
"We've got some very successful students who've graduated from here,"
Whisenant said. "One alumni is a youth pastor in West Virginia, another is
a missionary in Germany and another was named Policeman of the Year in Cleburne
in 1996. The principal of the school, Terry Crosby, was the very first graduate
from the school."
Tuition for the school was about $2,000 a year and the church was responsible
for offsetting any other costs.
Whisenant says the majority of the students at Oak Trail will transfer to
another private school or be home-schooled. Hood County has two other private
schools, but neither extends through all 12 grades.
"Closing the school was an extremely tough decision," he said.
"It took a lot of prayer and consideration by all of us to close the school."
The school buildings will become a Family Life Center for Oak Trail Baptist
Church.
2002 HOOD COUNTY TEXAS GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY