History
Heartland Christian School began in 1996 in Columbiana “by the hand of God.” The school was the result of the inspiration of Rev. Cecil Jones, pastor of the Church of the Nazarene, and nineteen couples who desired a quality Christian education for their children. The steering committee that was formed to organize the school wanted a school that was responsive to the desires and needs of parents. For this reason, Heartland became a non-denominational, independent Christian school that is “parent-controlled”, a very unique kind of school. Heartland was located in the Church of the Nazarene on Elm St. for four years as it grew from its original enrollment of 147 students to about 180 students.
At that time, Columbiana schools built their new high school building and put their old building up for sale. The Heartland Board purchased that building for their new, and present location. Heartland assumed ownership of the building at the end of July 2000, painted and fixed up most of the building and started the school year on September 6th of that year. Since that time, the school has continued to repair and personalize the building. The school gym was completely renovated in 2001 and the preschool was created from the public school’s industrial arts room in 2002.
For the 2017-2018 academic year, there are 380 total students enrolled in our programs:
- 303 full-time K-12 students
- 23 homeschool students
- 54 preschool students
The school has graduated over 297 students in its 19 years of operation. Heartland’s students have come from 20 different school districts and from over 90 different churches. Heartland runs three bus routes that pick up and deliver students from school districts north, south and west of the city. Both Columbiana and Crestview Schools provide transportation for children in their districts to our school.
Heartland strives to provide an education that is academically excellent, but also is characterized by a distinctively Christian worldview. Our graduates have been extremely successful in college and are welcomed by many schools in our area. The majority of our students continue their education in Christian colleges, from whom many receive scholarship money.
Heartland owns its 60,000 square foot building and is debt free. We have made major renovations in the preschool, auditorium, hallways, dining commons, gymnasium, computer labs and several classrooms, as well as numerous improvements to the outside of the building.
Heartland was established “by the hand of God” and has been sustained “by the hand of God” and will continue to serve Him faithfully by His grace and help families provide a top-quality Christian education for their children. We thank God for His provision and faithfulness to this vital ministry in our community. Come and see what a quality Christian education looks like at Heartland Christian School!