Friendship Christian School

I have been going to friendship for 8 years (since kindergarten) and I truly beleive it has ruined my childhood. I just started playing a sport 2 years ago and finally started fitting in. Before that I was an artist and singer and that got me shunned and hated. They are a bunch of snotty cliques and rude paranas out there in that school. I will strongly advise you NOT to come here if you are class of 2017.

This is our first year at FCS and our children seem to enjoy it well. We believe no school is perfect, but wanted to find the school that was a great "fit" for our family. FCS offers balance - excellent academics, impressive sports programs, great art and music classes, Christian studies and environment. Our children transitioned from another school, and we feel they have flourished at FCS. We have experienced no bullying, cliques or snobbery. Honestly, we have talked about how nice the faculty and the parents have been. Any concerns we have had were immediately and thoroughly addressed and even followed-up on. Any families considering FCS should come with an open mind and not have pre-conceived opinions based on other's experiences. Let your child decide for himself/herself. This is an excellent school with a myriad of opportunities for kids to apply themselves and excel in academics, sports or arts. There also is a huge amount of parent involvement here. Everyone has been exceedingly kind, whether on field trips or just working together at a Valentine's party. We are excited for our kids to be attending FCS and look forward to their future successes at FCS.
--Submitted by a parent

I have attended FCS for 11 years now. I began in kindergarten, so I have seen the school change in many ways over the time I have been there. I considered the school to be pretty good up until about three years ago. Like a few others have said, the school is too focused on athletics, especially football. Sometimes, it appears that they focus on athletics more than they do academics. This school is also too sheltered. They try to hide you from the real world by being a "Christian environment." There are also annoying cliques in the school, and many students are very stuck up.Also, I gave FCS one star because they made their dress code more strict over the last three years. Every one looks too much alike now. They try to make everyone be a "cookie cutter" student by having a strict code of conduct, too. Not everyone needs to be the same, but FCS must think so. You can even get in trouble over something you don't even do at school. FCS does not offer many classes for you to take, too. There needs to be more choices for classes. One last reason for a low rating is that FCS likes to brag about how high the students' ACT scores are. Overall, I would not recommend this school for you.

My children and I love FCS! We are excited about the new cafeteria roof, the new iPads, online prep for the ACT and SAT, and the way teachers go out of their way to meet students' needs. My children are growing academically and spiritually. They have never been bullied or looked down upon because they were not Church of Christ. I am sorry other students feel they have been treated poorly, but my children have never experienced that. I look forward to them finishing high school there!
--Submitted by a parent

FCS is not a perfect place, but my kids will al graduate from there. Athletic and academic teams both rank highly statewide, and the Science Olympiad team just won the middle school state championship. The baseball team was just state runner-up. The softball team just made it to the substrate game but is often at state. The school does have C of C roots, but it is extremely blended now. A couple dozen or more faiths are represented in the students, and no single group is even at 50%. Although the faculty is small, it is becoming more and more diverse both in religion and ethnicity. Improvements are being made in several areas. Elective offerings have more than doubled in the last two years. Word is out that the school is partnering with Apple with an iPad initiative. Although last year's seniors nearly averaged 25 on the ACT, they are aiming higher. They have just begun to offer eprep, a test prep program for students, and they already put juniors through a week of ACT test prep. Classes are small. Almost every class is under 20, and some are under 10. They also have just replaced the roof over the cafeteria, and added a new middle school building about 3 years ago.
--Submitted by a parent

We have been at fcs for five years, and have put up with all the politics,clicks,snobs,and all the other great things that go along with a small private school....but when your child is not a cookie cutter kid....thats when it becomes a nightmare. We are so sad that Our experience there is ending the way it is. We had much higher hopes and planned on starting our children there and finishing there...but hiring teachers with zero training, to advertising small class rooms that no longer exist. The first time we went to the Administration with our concerns we were ignored. We are good Christian people, and do not judge others on their religious preferences. However, if you are not church of Christ you are often looked down at. I would not recommend fcs if your child has a out of the box personality, because they aren't excepted well, period. I would love to have the thousands of dollars I've invested there back, and but toward family time we haven't afforded. But most of all I wish we weren't left with a sad, bitter taste. Good luck with whatever road you choose for your children. If it is friendship, I only wish a better experience. We will be rebuilding our child's spirit.
--Submitted by a parent

Although they advertise themselves as non-denominational, this is a Church of Christ school. It would have been good to know that going in. My child came home one day crying because she had been told that her family was all going to... well, down when we died... because we weren't Church of Christ.
--Submitted by a parent

As recent alumni of FCS, I would like to give my opinion on the school. One of the first things I learned going to this small Christian school is that it is full of a lot of small Christians. There is a strict code of conduct enabling students to be expelled if they get into any trouble, as there should be as the student represents the school. What I don t understand is how the football coach can have an affair with a football player s mom in his office, but yet he doesn t have any repercussions for his actions. That sends out a great message to the students. Also, despite paying over $6,000 (more than tuition for state colleges) a semester the school continues to ask for more money through out the year. I would be interested in knowing how much FCS spends a year on Athletics, despite the faculty cuts made within the last two years. Academically the school isn t any better than the A.P. courses offered in most public high schools, with an exception of English all other classes are average or a joke. In my humble opinion check the public schools in your area to see what all they offer; I believe they are much more beneficial.
--Submitted by a parent

I agree with several of the posts. We attended K-3rd. Most of the time was great, as long as you have an average student who follows everything they are told. If you have an artistic or smart child forget it. If you are an athlete FCS the place to be. Our child was super smart, high IQ according to testing, but had some issues completing in school work last part of year due to over sensitivity to class enviroment. Teachers advice was to hold child back, even though all A/B work, that child was not emotionally ready for next grade. Child was bored! Educational Psychologist advised that was worst thing we could have done and it would have scared child for life. Not supportive as far as teachers went. Very dissappointed! Alot of politics and requests for donations. I would not suggest FCS unless all you care about is athletics.
--Submitted by a parent

I really believe friendship christian school is wondeerful. There is so much going on there for the children the staff and teachers are great and i love the fact that the children can get religion in there education. Thanks frendship for all you do for our children
--Submitted by a parent