Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, we will post the amounts we have raised for fundraisers or grants received along with the items that were purchased to improve the school.

No, we do not have investors or shareholders in our school. RCA is an extension of The River, which is a non-profit organization. 

Yes, we believe in accountability, and scripture supports it. Our leadership and presiding bodies are The River at Smyrna Elder Board, The River Christian Academy School Board, our Chancellor, and our Lead Pastors. We report to the Association of Christian Schools International, the State Fire Marshall for safety, and the Tennessee State Board of Education. We have partnered with Cognia for accreditation, which will also hold RCA accountable.

We begin hiring in April. Once our staff is complete, we will post all of the information on our site and schedule an evening this summer where you can meet your child’s teacher.  We hope to have all staff secure by early June and will update our website with that information.

RCA will be established on our gorgeous 56-acre property at 8200 Safari Dr. in Smyrna.  A donor has provided portable classrooms, much like the ones in use for Rutherford public/private schools. We are so grateful!

Of Course! We would love to meet you, even before our classrooms are ready to be toured! We have a Parent’s Day Out Program at our church for going on 3 years now, and you can see our setup in there as well. We are very excited to meet you. Once the school classrooms are ready, we will let you know and you can come grab a cup of coffee and walk through the rooms!

Yes, we are meeting with possible donors and are in the very early stages of planning.  Our primary focus is currently opening the school and hiring the right educators.  

No, we ask that you adhere to the Dress Code in the handbook.

Yes, please inquire at office@riverchristianacademy.com

Absolutely not. We believe in family time – for our families and our teachers.

The students need to spend time with their families and vice versa, and our teachers need to balance family life and school life. If our teachers are overworked then it will affect how they operate in the classroom and in their family life.

Our culture pushes us busy to the point where we have created an unhealthy place for our children to live in.

None or very few changes will be made to the calendar once it is distributed.

Let’s push for healthy teachers and healthy families!

Yes, once a year.

It is required by law that students are in the classroom learning for 180 days (6.5 hours/day). Our calendar is posted on the website.

River Christian Academy is part of the ACSI, Association of Christian Schools International, which is part of the requirements to be a non-public, church-related school in the state of Tennessee.

In Tennessee, non-public schools include private, church-related, and independent home schools. Unlike public schools, the state’s approved non-public schools are not operated by a local education agency (LEA) or the Tennessee Department of Education (department). Instead, they are privately operated entities, primarily funded through school tuition paid by families and private donations from individuals and organizations.

Church-related schools are operated by denominational, parochial, or other bona fide church organizations required to meet the standards of accreditation or membership of specific agencies listed in Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-50-801. 

We are in the process of applying for accreditation with Cognia. What does this look like? Cognia will begin our candidacy Review on the first day of school which is on August 5, 2024 and this process can take 6 months to 2 years. A school does not start accredited, there is a process that each school has to go through.

As parents this was one of our first questions.

From our ASCI Team, “Accreditation is not related to student course work. You set up the curriculum and give the students credit as they complete the subjects based on the state’s standards.. Accreditation gives the school credibility and accountability, and it appears on their high school transcripts if the school is accredited under a state-approved accreditation. Some colleges look at that, but they mainly look at the SAT and ACT test scores.”

We can accommodate students with mild to moderate IEP/504 Plans. Our Director of Academics and teachers will partner closely with families to ensure their child has the best opportunity to learn and grow.