Academics
A college-preparatory program from K5 through twelfth grade, taught by teachers rather than software.
How the year is organized
The school year runs in four nine-week grading periods, two per semester. Progress reports go home partway through each quarter; report cards follow at the end of it. Semester grades are the average of that semester's two quarters, and the final year grade is the average of the two semesters.
Parents are not left waiting for either one. All students receive weekly folders showing their progress, and both progress reports and report cards must be signed and returned the next day. The conference after the first nine weeks — when the report card is picked up in person — is required for all parents.
The school day
| School begins | 7:45 AM |
| Elementary dismissal (K5–5) | 3:05 PM |
| Junior and Senior High dismissal (6–12) | 3:15 PM |
Two divisions, one campus
Elementary (K5–5) classrooms are self-contained: one teacher carries a class through the day, with Music and Fine Arts taught by specialists. Reading instruction is phonics-first.
Junior and Senior High (6–12) is departmentalized. Students move between teachers for Bible, English, History, Science, Math and Spanish, plus electives in fine arts, computers and physical education.
Elementary → · Junior & Senior High →
Curriculum
Westside Baptist Academy teaches from established Christian-school curriculum, principally BJU Press, chosen because it is academically serious and because it does not require a teacher to work around the worldview of the textbook in front of them.
How we grade
Work is graded on a straightforward hundred-point scale, and parents hear where a student stands twice each nine weeks — a progress report at the midpoint and a report card at the end. Nothing about a grade should ever come as a surprise in May.
Grading and reporting in full →
Standardized testing
Students take an annual standardized achievement test. Results are reported to parents individually and reviewed school-wide to check where our instruction is genuinely working and where it is not.
Fine arts
Choir, orchestra, junior high and senior high ensembles, and art are part of the academic program rather than after-school extras. Private instrumental lessons are available through the Fine Arts Coordinator.
Graduation
Twenty-six credits are recommended for a Westside Baptist Academy diploma; twenty-two is the minimum required. Full requirements, transfer credit and the dual-credit policy are on the Junior & Senior High page.
Come see the Academy
The best way to understand Westside Baptist Academy is to walk the halls while school is in session. Tours take about an hour.