The History of HCA

For 27+ years, the heart and mission of HCA has been to provide a Christ-centered educational environment that equips students to develop Character, demonstrate Competence and discover their Calling.

The Early Years: 1994 – 2006

With significant vision and investment, Harvest Church launched Harvest Christian Academy (HCA) in 1994, along with the Harvest Child Development Center (HCDC) as ministries of the church to provide quality Christian education to its members and the surrounding community. HCA and HCDC worked together, under the leadership and ownership of the Church to provide PK – 12 Kingdom Education. 1994 started with Childcare through Kindergarten. 1st through 11th Grade were added in 1995, with 12th Grade being added in 1996. Therefore, in 1997, HCA held its first high school graduation. Also, in 1997, the first accreditation was received from the Association of Christian Schools International, and it has been maintained since that time. During these early years, enrollment grew significantly due to the new facility and the fast-growing population in the area. As a ministry of Harvest Church, a school board made up of the elders of the church originally governed the school. Through strategic planning and trust in God, the school was able to form a foundation which raised money to expand the athletic and fine arts programs. This included building the football field, "Callahan Field," and baseball field, "Berry Field," and hiring two full-time fine arts teachers. All the while, HCA maintained its focus on academic excellence and the strong spiritual development of all students. In 2005, the church realized the necessity of establishing an empowered school board to develop and implement decisions for the future of HCA. By 2006, the school board and the church elders decided to transition HCA into an independent school.

The Journey Continued: 2007 – 2018

The process to become independent began by filing for Texas Non-profit Corporate status and IRS 501(c)3 approval. Both were successfully completed in 2007. The church and HCA began operating as independent corporations, but remained ministry partners. The early focus of the new school board was to create cultural heart change, increase academic rigor, and become financially viable. This journey began by establishing leadership changes in the headmaster's office and rewriting the mission statement to read, "Harvest Christian Academy provides a Christ-centered, educational environment that equips students to develop character, demonstrate competence and discover their calling". During these years, HCA implemented balanced budgets, audited financial statements, facility upgrades, certification requirements for faculty, curriculum reviews, salary and benefit enhancements, athletic restructuring, technological advancements, and significant emphasis on discipleship improvement. While diligently evaluating every facet of the school, enrollment remained healthy and accreditation was successfully renewed in 2011. With many of the difficult decisions and changes complete, HCA entered a growth phase in many different areas. A significant enhancement during these transition years was the implementation of a new security strategy. HCA is committed to student safety and has implemented access control, surveillance, licensed and armed security, increased CPR/AED and medical training, instant communication, extensive background verification, filtered internet networks, and many more related security protocols. Growth has also occurred financially with strategic tuition increases, the investment and selling of 10 acres of land, and launching a Development Office. These decisions were facilitated through a consulting relationship with Dr. Bruce Lockerbie. Spiritually, HCA has strengthened its Christian philosophy of education by investing in Kingdom Education training for all administration and full-time K-12 faculty. In academics, significant enhancements have been made with the success of the Learning Enrichment Program, continued participation in dual-credit classes, and increased academic rigor. In 2018, Harvest Church sold their property to a new owner, Lifestyle Christianity. As tenants who leased space on this property, HCA operated independently. The mission remained the same, and the school continued to provide a safe and secure, both physically and spiritually, educational environment.

The Vision for the Future:

Since the ministry of HCA is to invest in the next generation academically and spiritually, for the years to come, the HCA School Board has launched a strategic plan that focuses on three main goals. First, Our People! Within this goal, HCA will continue to recruit and retain excellent faculty, increase parental partnerships, and enroll students with a teachable spirit. Second, Our Quality! This focus concentrates on enhancing academic programs, expanding advancement programs, and improve and expand school offerings. The final goal, Our Growth! This encompasses strengthening HCA's future by relocating to a new campus, developing partnerships with area churches and schools, and increasing community awareness. The excitement builds as we launch into the next 25 years of Kingdom Education. In the fall of 2020, we successfully opened a new satellite campus: a Preschool through 12th Grade campus in Lantana, TX. This new growth allows us to provide quality, affordable Christian education to new communities in North Texas and follow our Vision Statement: Developing the next generation of Christ-followers to passionately serve Christ and lead others.

Additionally, in July of 2021, the HCA Main Campus relocated from Watauga (where we started) to Keller, Tx. This opportunity to relocate allows us to provide a better geographic location for our current and future families. This new campus brings excitement as we embark on a new journey with our school community. We invite you to visit our new campus for an open house, private tour, or community event and experience our amazing school culture in a new environment.