Dr. JoAnna Oster

Director of Development

TMA Athletic Fund

The purpose of the Athletic Fund is to provide athletic needs outside the regular scheduled budget. In the past years we were able to purchase the following items: a new volleyball system, 12 outside mats, a camcorder and an enclosed bulletin board. Thank you for your support.

The Need

As a relatively new school, in a relatively new area, and without high school alumni, we have not been able to build a donor base to assist in constructing and furnishing the proposed educational wing. The sponsoring church, in both Broward and Dade, is bearing 100% of the weekly bond cost on the land (over $11,000 each week), which limits what they can do toward construction. And, we do not have access to national funding.

Our tuition is needed for operating expenses to maintain the high quality of our academic educational program. Over 70% of our tuition dollars go toward the payroll of our school staff. We are not overstaffed and they are not overpaid. We are determined to maintain a low student-to-teacher ratio, with a maximum of 23 students per class in first grade and up. Our average teacher salaries are only about 80% of those paid to public school teachers.

How do other Christian schools do it? In the case of an Ohio Christian school from which one of our Foundation Board members graduated, annual donations equaled 20% of the tuition paid. This additional 20% is dedicated to operating expenses and to development. We have found this to be a consistent financial trend in Christian schools established for a longer period of time. Older schools have often paid for land and buildings through donations made by parents and high school alumni. Many schools budget 5-20% for donations each year (as a percent of tuition).

We have budgeted $1.5 million for the first new educational wing, which will allow new classrooms and the addition of a high school program. Once we raise sufficient funds, we will finalize architectural plans, gain building permits, and begin construction.

However, the cycle must begin with leadership from our current 315 school families. As these families accept TMA's vision, need, and action as their own, we will gain momentum and become more and more excited to see TMA continue to build for the future. Won't you join us and give to the TMA Foundation, and touch our children's future?

The Vision

In just 9 short years, God has allowed The Master's Academy to grow to over 450 students. Because of the strength of our program, as evidenced by the various accreditations, we currently have 18 modular classrooms, and still find ourselves bursting at the seams. We are using these modular classrooms to accomodate our growth while we raise money and build our permanent structure.

We have more classes in kindergarten and elementary than in the upper grades, but as our students grow, we need to add more upper classes, just to accomodate our existing students and to provide opportunities for additional students. Also, we feel compelled to add a Christian high school in this community, but our lack of permanent facilities hinders this growth. To maintain our standards of education, additional facilities are needed.

Our vision is to raise money and build a new educational classroom wing, later followed by another classroom wing with gymnatorium. Plans have been drafted and as soon as we raise the necessary funds for the first wing, we will finalize architectural plans and beginconstruction! Then, what a wonderdul day it will be, when children walk down the aisle as kindergarten, elementary, middle school and high school graduates. Grounded in Christian education, they will soar thereafter as TMA Eagles!