When was TBCS established?
The Bessemer Classical School was established at the Bessemer First Presbyterian Church in August 1997 with a first and second grade.

Why was the school started?
The State Department of Education records indicate that 30% of Bessemer public school third through eighth graders are not reading at state minimum standards, and 25% of high school juniors fail some portion of the State Graduation Exam.  A number of families in the Bessemer community, despite not having the financial resources, desire an alternative to local schools, and TBCS was started to meet that need. The Bessemer Classical School provides a very rigorous and Christ-centered academic program, along with consistently high expectations, to students at a cost that their families can afford.

How many grades do you now have?
In 2009/2010 The Bessemer Classical School has first – fourth grades, and we intend to grow by a grade each year.

How many students do you currently have?
We have 18 students in first – fourth grades.

Why only eighteen students?
The school is currently limited in space within the building in which we are housed.  Eighteen students is approaching the maximum number that we can hold.  We also like to keep our class sizes small, in order to best meet the needs of each student we serve.

So, do you plan to move to a larger facility?
Yes.  We are currently working on finding a larger location for fall 2010 and are weighing several options.  We are also actively seeking a place for a permanent home within the next couple of years.

How many of your students live below poverty level?
Ninety percent of The Bessemer Classical School’s students are from low-income families

Can other families attend The Bessemer Classical School too?
TBCS allows a wide variety of students to attend, including those with the means to pay full tuition.  We believe that racial and economic diversity adds value to our program.

How is the school funded?
The Bessemer Classical School is funded through private donations from individuals, foundations, churches and corporations and much less so by students' tuition payments.

How much is tuition?
A regular year’s tuition at The Bessemer Classical School is $3,000 plus a $300 book fee. Summer tuition is $1000.  The School provides substantial scholarships to needy families to help allow them to attend.  Students can attend for as little as $475 per year.

How are scholarship amounts figured?
Please review our Scholarship Application for more information.

How is your success evaluated?
Beginning in third grade, The School utilizes the OLSAT and the SAT to evaluate each student’s ability to learn versus how much they have actually learned.  We can also measure our SAT Scores against other schools to determine how well our students are performing compared to their counterparts.  See Standardized Testing for more in-depth information.

What about parental involvement?
Not only is parental involvement vital to students’ success, it is required here at TBCS.  Upon enrollment, parents are required to sign a Parent Covenant indicating their agreement to be an active participant in their child's education.  Each student brings home a daily folder which includes a conduct report from that day and homework assignments which parents are required to review and sign.  In addition, parents attend conferences with their child's teacher a minimum of four times a year.