A new school near Dexter and Chelsea aims to offer a classical education encased in Christian values

New Harvest Church located at 11875 Jackson Road. photo by Lonnie Huhman

A rigorous classical education encased in Christian values is the mission of Wing Classical Academy, which is a new place of learning for local families in the surrounding communities.

In February, Wing Classical Academy announced it found a home and entered into an agreement with New Harvest Church, located at 11875 Jackson Road in Lima Township, to lease space for the 2024-2025 school year with room for expansion in later years.

The Board of Directors of the Washtenaw Classical Fund (WCF) announced the opening of Wing Classical Academy for the 2024/25 school year. The WCF, a 501c3 entity, said it has been working and planning, “along with a host of dedicated volunteers, for two years to bring this vision to fruition.”

Scott Aschenbach from WCF, Shawn Smith from New Harvest Church, Jane Griffith from WCF, and Pastor Mark Hendricks from New Harvest Church. photo courtesy of the Washtenaw Classical Fund

“We’ve heard from families throughout western Washtenaw County, and the need for this type of school is clear. We felt called to this mission, and we are humbled that God has chosen us to do this work,” said WCF Board Chair Stacey Wing in the announcement.

Located in between Dexter and Chelsea, right near I-94, Wing Classical Academy said it will utilize the Hillsdale College K-12 American Classical Education curriculum to “provide a rigorous classical education encased in Christian values.”

In the announcement, Jane Griffith, Executive Director of WCF, said, “The congregation at New Harvest has welcomed us with open arms, and we are grateful and excited for the opportunity to offer this option to our community.”

The origin story for this new school is described on its website:

“In summer of 2022, our Board Chair, Stacey Wing, woke up one night with the thought that she needed to start a Christian school. Stacey had recently retired from Dexter Public Schools – she had contact with many parents and others in the community who were expressing a desire for a local alternative to public schools with excellent academics and a Christian foundation. She started talking to people and soon a team assembled and Washtenaw Classical Fund was established as a 501(c) (3) to raise money to build a new school.”

For those interested in learning more about enrollment, employment, volunteer opportunities, and donations, go to https://wing.academy/.

Enrollment for the 2024/25 school year is open.