After nearly 40 years of education for Pre-K through eighth grade, Mountain Christian School has announced that it will close at the end of the 2014-2015 school year.

According to Senior Pastor the Rev. Ben Cachiaras, the school has been facing economic problems for years and is unable to sustain itself any longer.

“For seven years [Mountain Christian School] has had an ever-increasing negative budget and cash flow, and has lost [one-third of its] student enrollment,” Cachiaras said.

In a letter written by church elders Father Cachiaras and Chairman Greg Tutino, “it has become apparent that it is no longer wise or faithful stewardship of God’s resources for [Mountain Christian Church] to attempt to save the school’s future through additional significant outlay of funds,” and that the decision to close the school is “not a sudden issue.”

“I have many great memories there,” Mountain Christian School graduate senior Caitlin Mooney said. “Especially meeting people who I hope will be my life long friends. The teachers were always wonderful and caring and very committed to making sure all of us were ready for high school. I hope the school did everything to try to avoid this outcome.”

In an effort to curtail the decreasing financial budget, Mountain Christian School took a “scrupulous financial management” approach to the school, including “adjustments in the administration, increased efforts in recruitment, providing incentives for enrollment, marketing efforts, fundraising, enhancing our curriculum, beginning a preschool, and more,” Tutino said.

Church officials cite the economic downturn of 2008, a decline in enrollment in other Christian schools, and a decline in the overall number of school-age children in Harford County Public Schools as possible factors that have led to the decision to close Mountain Christian School.

“It was a great school with wonderful teachers and I wish it would stay open,” Mooney said. “It is a shame for the students to have to leave and find a new school.”

To help Mountain Christian families adjust to the transition next year, the school held an informational session on Jan. 22 regarding the school’s closing and efforts to assist Mountain Christian families’ transitioning into other schools.

“Our leadership is praying for every single person involved in the school—but especially for our students,” Tutino said. “While we are saddened by this big change, we are at the same time confident that God will work through it in ways only God can for the good of everyone involved.”

Billy Jump is an In-Depth Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.