ASBURY W.Va. (WVDN) – Maybe unfamiliar in the world of academia is a school that opened last year (2024) in Asbury.
Grace Bible Academy is a full-scale school that accepts kids as young as 18 months all the way to seniors in high school. Their hours are Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Founded by Jessica and Gary McBurney, GBA is the place to be if a child feels overlooked or undervalued in their current setting. In 2024, the school had a total of around 70 students and had at least one new student to enroll each week, with more expected to attend this coming year. A student can enroll anytime during the year if he or she is unhappy, or their parents are unhappy with the school they currently attend, and their transcripts fully transfer.
GBA offers preschool and combines the classrooms of kindergarten through third grade, fourth through sixth, and seventh through 12th. They offer the Hope Scholarship, which covers all tuition fees to help the burden on parents, and the only out-of-pocket fees are lunch and registration fees.
The scholarship covers students entering Kindergarten and continues through the 12th grade. The total for the 25/26 school year is $5,267.38. “We have designed it to cover the tuition for the student in efforts to help parents send their children if they are interested,” Jessica McBurney said.
The idea to begin the school came from Jessica, and she was determined to do whatever she needed in regards as a staff member.
“I had the idea a few years back and was able to start it at a different location,” Jessica said.
“After I had our daughter, I took a year off and Pastor Mike Teubert contacted me because he felt led to start a school at their church, Grace Bible Church in Asbury. So, Pastor Mike and I began working together and with the help and support from their church, the school began. We had church members to step up and assist with anything needed. Whether it was teaching, helping at lunch, driving the bus routes, etc. Gary just puts up with me unwinding at the end of the day,” she continued, laughing.
However, the challenges associated with the school have ranged from word of mouth to extinguishing stereotypes.
“I would say the biggest challenge has been getting the word out about the program and its entirety. The term “homeschooled” has been given a reputation throughout the years and can be associated with kids not getting to experience things. We want parents to know that it is our goal to integrate all aspects into the student’s education. While we teach the core subjects (Math, English, Science, History), we also mix in supplemental subjects (Spelling, Reading, Penmanship, Electives) as well as practical learning (Money management, social interactions, hands on trade-work). Also with our program, students can either work or begin dual enrollment college classes. We have a student this year who is also going to be taking classes through New River to get started on her college career. However, if the student is interested in trade-work, I find the appropriate people to help point them in the direction to reach their goal.”
The school also offers chapel services with a pastor on site each week.
“Our number one goal is to tell others about Christ and His love for us. To help with that, we have a scheduled chapel every Wednesday morning. We start out together by singing songs and praying, then we split into 2 groups (younger and older) for the chapel lesson. Last year, we ended the school year with 13 salvations. Pastor Mike had even said that if last year was all that we had, that made it worth it and he is right,” Jessica stated.
If families are truly interested in learning more or even having their kids attend Grace Bible Academy, but are having a hard time deciding, Jessica says there are multiple avenues to take for help and information.
“If parents are on the fence, I encourage them to reach out to me ASAP. I would love to answer any questions that they may have. I also want parents to know that our office would love to help them through the registration/enrollment process both for the school and for HOPE Scholarship. It can be intimidating at first, but I would love to meet with them and guide them along the process,” she concluded.
