At Cornerstone Christian Academy, the voices of teachers are heard loud and clear.
During 2022′s Top Workplaces anonymous employee survey, teachers said they were concerned about limited space. The administration responded with a $4 million investment in new construction and renovations.
Credit: Phil Skinner
Credit: Phil Skinner
By January, students are expected to conduct experiments in spacious, state-of-the-art science labs, a testament to the Peachtree Corners school’s commitment to listening to and acting on faculty feedback.
“For us, it is just a matter of making sure we’re able to serve our students and teachers,” headmaster Colin Creel said. “That survey was the trigger. It made clear that the teachers need more space in order to adequately perform their duties.”
That’s just one reason Cornerstone Christian Academy is once again the Top Workplace in the region with 149 or fewer employees. This is the third year the private, faith-based school has been ranked No. 1 in its category.
Founded in 2001 with eight students, the K-8 school has grown to its comfortable maximum enrollment of about 458 kids, Creel said.
“We have no desire to increase the amount of students walking our halls,” he said. “On the flip side, we do have a strong desire to improve the student as well as teacher experience at Cornerstone by expanding our footprint.”
Credit: Phil Skinner
Credit: Phil Skinner
Creel said he anticipates the expansion will meet that mission. It will add 5,500 square feet of space and renovate about 2,500 square feet.
Plans call for the school to schedule science labs for sixth, seventh and eighth graders for only about two-thirds of the school day to give teachers time to prepare and clean up the labs before and after each class, Creel said. This will also enable third and fourth graders to access the fifth grade science lab, he said.
“Currently, that’s our biggest challenge with science,” Creel added.
Private donations are financing most of the construction, and two six-figure gifts from private foundations have “really helped tremendously,” he said.
“We’re not a school with families with many pockets. People really stretch to send their kids to our school. They really value education.”
Families saw tuition costs increase more than usual last year to raise teacher pay and bring on school police, Creel said.
Tuition for the 2024-2025 school year is $16,600 for kindergarten through fourth grade, $17,800 for grades five through seven, and $19,500 (including the cost of a trip to Washington) for eighth grade.
Credit: Phil Skinner
Credit: Phil Skinner
Credit: Phil Skinner
Credit: Phil Skinner
Creel said the school raised teacher salaries to ensure it can continue to retain and attract the best instructors. Cornerstone also bumped up its match of the employees’ savings plan from 3% to a tiered system: 3% after one year, 5% after five years and 7% after 10 years.
“Hiring teachers and keeping teachers has gotten so much harder than it used to be,” he said. “So many people are leaving education.”
He called that the “greatest change and challenge” of the past few years.
Even with its recognition as a top workplace, Creel said the school’s application pool has been dwindling.
“We do not anticipate this turning around any time soon,” he said. “Thus, we are continually engaging individuals who may be good candidates for the future.”
In the meantime, comments from teachers in the 2024 survey were positive. One said: “We have many resources available to use in our classrooms and are given $1,400 per year to spend on supplies. I love our school.” Another employee responded: “The administration keeps us in the loop of all ideas, vision, progress, and plans. Our budget matches our classroom needs, and we are well-supplied and financially supported in order to teach to the best of our ability.” A third said, “I get to teach at a Christian school in a community of believing teachers.”
Cornerstone Christian Academy has 68 faculty members and operates from a former office park, which was intentional.
“I am exceptionally frugal and have tried to be a good steward of every inch of our spaces,” said Creel, who is beginning his 14th year as headmaster.
The school sits on 11 acres and has access to Peachtree Corners Baptist Church for its outdoor and indoor sports programs. The academy’s students also use the pool at the nearby Robert D. Fowler YMCA.
CORNERSTONE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
Established: 2001
Where: Peachtree Corners
Student enrollment: 458
Faculty members: 68
Who’s in charge: Colin Creel, 50, beginning his 14th year as headmaster
Amenities/after-school programs: Bus service from Dunwoody and Brookhaven. Middle school has after-school sports and arts. Lower school has after-school clubs and Cougars Den (open to students in working families until 6 p.m.)
Employee benefits: Salaries have been raised dramatically over the past five years. Tuition was significantly increased last year to provide pay raises for teachers and pay for an on-campus police officer. Last year, matches to the school’s 403b savings plan increased.
What sets the school apart: “We keep it simple. We desire to hire teachers who love Christ, love students, and love their content area,” Creel said.
Credit: Phil Skinner
Credit: Phil Skinner
Accolades received in the past year: 2023 AJC Top Workplace; Best of Peachtree Corners (K-8) School, from Peachtree Corners magazine
Best known graduate: Jake Camarda was punter on the national champion Georgia Bulldogs team and plays that same position for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He graduated from Cornerstone in 2014 and attended Norcross High School, where he graduated in 2018.
About the Author
