After nearly 25 years of closure, a small rural school in Choteau, Montana, reopened in 2022 with a new name: Teton Adventist Christian School.
The school serves families in several small towns throughout Teton County. The first school board meeting, held Jan. 2, 2022, included four individuals inexperienced with school leadership and one experienced interim pastor. They had a sharp learning curve as they navigated the establishment of a new elementary school, yet they saw remarkable miracles as details quickly came together.
Within four months, almost all the pieces were in place to reopen the school: a renovated classroom, a hired teacher, a website, paperwork and all the other details needed to be ready to operate. The school board clearly learned that God can't be outworked!
The school was ready for students. By the end of May, only one student was enrolled. The excitement of all the planning and preparing was turning into concern. Nevertheless, God’s timing is always perfect, even if it feels last minute.
TACS started its first year with seven part-time and five full-time students and ended the year with 14 full-time students. The enrollment nearly doubled the following year, and the school added a second teacher.
School leaders realized it was time to expand when parents asked what to do when their children graduated from eighth grade. Additionally, a local pre-K program closed. TACS is now in its third year of operation with 30 students, a pre-K program, a ninth-grade program and a part-time pre-K teacher.
The growth the school has experienced has not been without growing pains, but it has nevertheless blown away the expectations of the potential of the little school. There was a need in the community for a Christian school, a greater need than realized, and the school is on a mission to meet that need the best it can.
TACS is currently searching for more teachers and in the process of purchasing a second school campus in the nearby town of Fairfield to establish a junior academy. Grades seven through 10 will attend the new campus, while grades pre-K through six will remain in Choteau. It isn’t every day a school comes up for sale when looking for growth options!
Generous donors and church members have supported TACS with time, resources and skills, allowing the school to grow and thrive. As TACS takes a new step of faith amid financial challenges and a teacher shortage, God’s provision and guidance remain evident. This school is a vital ministry, positively impacting lives in rural Montana by sharing Christ’s love. Continued prayers are needed for TACS and Adventist schools worldwide as they work to spread the gospel.
