FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Here you will find some of the most common questions regarding our campaign.
MISSION, IDENTITY, AND “WHY NOW?”
We love what’s special about Covenant, and we’re not expanding for expansion’s sake. The practical issue is capacity strain and waitlists in multiple grades. This expansion is intended to relieve real constraints so we can continue delivering the Covenant experience with excellence, rather than overcrowding or compromising the student experience.
The mission stays the mission: Christ-centered formation and rigorous, classical Christian education. Growth is a response to demand and an opportunity to serve more families, not the definition of success. The building is a tool to extend discipleship and excellent education without changing who we are.
The purpose is formation: creating space for discipleship, strong teaching, and a community where students are known and shaped in intellect, spirit, body, and heart. The building supports mission outcomes by making room for formation to happen well.
CULTURE, DISCIPLESHIP, AND STANDARDS.
By holding the line on the things that shape culture: admissions fit, teacher hiring and training, student conduct expectations, and a Christ-honoring environment. The project is meant to support formation, not replace it—space helps us disciple well, but standards and leadership preserve the culture.
The expansion isn’t “bigger for bigger’s sake”—it’s meant to relieve capacity strain while protecting the Covenant experience: Christ-centered formation, strong academics, and a community where students are known. Additional enrollment can also expand offerings that benefit every student, while standards for admissions, hiring, conduct, and affordability remain unchanged and Christ-honoring.
Our standards are not changing. As enrollment grows, we will continue to prioritize mission alignment, student/family fit, and a Christ-honoring culture in admissions—growth that compromises the mission is not the goal.
Covenant is grounded in Scripture and committed to a distinctly Christian culture and formation. We aim for clarity, not fuzziness, and we want to honor Christ in what we teach, how we disciple, and how we lead.
STUDENT EXPERIENCE AND PROGRAMMING.
Yes. The building enables the school to strengthen and expand offerings in academics, athletics, and extracurriculars in a way that benefits every student, while maintaining standards for hiring, training, and program quality.
No. Our aim is faithfulness, not comparison. Expansion is rooted in real capacity needs and strengthening Covenant’s model. Any program growth is meant to enhance student formation and opportunity for all students—not to compete in an “arms race.”
DEMAND, ENROLLMENT, AND GROWTH PLANNING.
We’re already seeing current unmet demand (including waitlists in multiple grades) alongside a campus at capacity. The expansion is intended to relieve current constraints so Covenant can serve families who are already seeking this education.
FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP AND AFFORDABILITY.
We recognize the sacrifice families make, and leadership shares that sacrifice as parents too. Responsible enrollment growth can help spread certain fixed costs and provide a buffer against rising costs. We’re pursuing this as a capital campaign so expansion is funded responsibly rather than pushing it into annual operations, and we’ll remain transparent about stewardship and planning.
Tuition supports operations and the education delivered today. Major facilities are long-term capital needs, and funding them through a capital campaign is a responsible way to invest in the school’s future without forcing undue pressure on annual operations.
We’re planning growth responsibly so the school’s overall financial health remains strong. Additional enrollment helps spread certain fixed costs and can support expanded offerings, while leadership continues to oversee budgets and staffing decisions with stewardship and transparency.
FINANCING, DEBT, AND RISK.
There is a debt component, but it’s designed to be conservative in the context of the school’s overall balance sheet and long-term health. We’ve solicited proposals from multiple banks, built reserves into the model, and are using debt primarily to bridge project timing while fundraising is fulfilled over a multi-year pledge window. The goal is disciplined, responsible stewardship.
That’s why we’re using a phased plan and multi-year commitments. We’re structuring decisions responsibly so the project can move forward with stewardship and clear guardrails rather than taking unnecessary risk.
PROJECT SCOPE, ALTERNATIVES, AND LONG-TERM FIT.
The scope is driven by instructional need and student experience: relieving classroom constraints and supporting Covenant’s academic model. This is about function and formation, not “flash.” We’re aiming for right-sized and mission-aligned.
We considered what would best serve students long-term, not just solve a short-term squeeze. Temporary or patch solutions often create repeated disruption and repeated cost. The current approach is phased, aligned with how Covenant teaches, and designed to be a durable, mission-fit solution.
We evaluated options through three lenses: (1) mission fit and student experience, (2) long-term stewardship, and (3) execution readiness. We can share the rationale of specific concerns more fully in a smaller setting, but the plan presented best matched those criteria.
We’re being thoughtful about timeline and logistics so the work is executed responsibly. The current timeline has much of the building erection during the summer when students are not on campus. This is a 10 month build, so there will be construction occuring alongside the regualr academic year, and we appreicate your patience and support as we might endure some short term distractions in purusit of long term success. The project includes professional oversight and standard construction controls, and we’ll communicate clearly with families about campus access, safety, and day-to-day operations during construction.
Safety is part of stewardship. There will be designated contractor only areas and designated student areas that are separate and distinct. We have already met with the contractor onsite and established lines of communication for overall and daily needs. The contractor is using the same Raptor background check system that we use for all visitors on campus. The timeline is being coordinated in a way to should have the building erection and much of the “heavy lifting” being done during the summer when students are not on campus. During construction, we’ll operate with professional oversight and standard controls, communicate clearly about campus logistics, and manage disruption responsibly so students and staff remain protected.
The focus is core instructional capacity and support spaces, which are inherently flexible over time as programs evolve. A phased approach also preserves options for future priorities as needs and timing become clear.
LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY.
Long-term sustainability is part of stewardship: build responsibly, control costs, communicate transparently, and plan ahead. Governance and budgeting discipline remain key tools for sustaining facilities and protecting affordability over time.
ACCOUNTABILITY, CONTROLS, AND GOVERNANCE.
Donors and stakeholders deserve clarity and integrity. Accountability and reporting were built in from the inception of the project. The budget includes contingency and interim financing planning, and we’re using an Owner’s Representative plus best practices for scope/schedule/budget tracking so the work is executed with discipline and transparency. Stewardship is part of the mission.
We’re using best practices for project stewardship: built-in reporting from inception, disciplined budget management (including contingency and interim financing planning), and professional project oversight to manage scope, schedule, and cost control.
The Board provides governance and oversight, working in partnership with school leadership. Major decisions follow established approval processes, with stewardship, transparency, and mission alignment as the guiding guardrails.
DONOR EXPERIENCE AND RECOGNITION.
We want recognition to serve gratitude and unity, not ego. We can honor donors appropriately while respecting those who prefer to give quietly. Our guiding principle is that giving should be Christ-honoring and cheerful, not transactional.
DONOR PARTICIPATION AND PLEDGE MECHANICS.
This is a capital campaign because it’s a capital need. We will continue to steward operations responsibly while inviting families to participate in a multi-year way that fits their season and capacity.
We understand every family has a different season. That’s why multi-year pledges exist—so participation can be prayerful, thoughtful, and sustainable, not pressured or impulsive.
Yes—multi-year pledges are a normal and encouraged way to participate. If circumstances change, we want to respond with grace and discretion. The goal is sustainable commitments made without compulsion.
Leadership gifts are often how major projects begin, but this is a shared legacy. Our goal is broad participation at meaningful levels, with leadership stepping forward to create momentum and confidence for the whole community.
Donors are partners in the mission, not owners of it. The school’s direction remains governed by mission and board oversight. We welcome generosity while guarding integrity and mission alignment.