Lack of funding could cause small East Texas Christian school to shut down

TYLER, Texas ( KETK ) – A small East Texas Christian school is in danger of shutting down due to financial issues.

Kingdom Life Academy, located in Tyler near Boulter Middle School, is in its 11th year and has nearly 20 students. The nonprofit school focuses on giving a second chance to children who are unable to thrive in traditional school.

Founder Joel Enge said the school is primarily funded through private donors and community donations. Parents of students pay tuition on a sliding scale because many of them come from low income households.

In the last year, donations have dwindled. The school is operating on half the budget they normally do.

“I think it’s really attributed to what’s going on within the country, the economy, inflation and and where families are struggling, you know, people are struggling across the board,” Enge said. “And so with discretionary spending, where people are tightening their belt economically, and so we’re not receiving the donations that we’ve received in the past.”

To try and save costs, the school is trying to raise tuition and reducing electrical use, including raising the temperature.

Kingdom Life Academy is working to raise $100,000 to fund the rest of this year. They are accepting donations on their website . People can also mail donations to Kingdom Life Academy P.O. Box 1446 Tyler, Texas 75710.

Enge said the push to make Education Savings Accounts in Texas a reality, could be a game-changer for them.

“It would take the burden, the pressure off of us tremendously where a lot of the funding could be able to use it to continue to let us help us to grow and to be a blessing to our kids,” Enge said.

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