Six Years After Covid Closures, Waldorf’s Grace Christian Academy Will Enroll High School Students For 26-27 

WALDORF, Md. — Grace Christian Academy is familiar with adapting to changes. When the school opened 40 years ago, it was strictly as a preschool. As the students got older, the school kept adding more grades and eventually served students from pre-K to 12th grade.

In 2020, Grace Christian Academy made the difficult decision to close its high school. With many students opting for remote or home school, the high school was no longer financially sustainable. Those students moved on to graduate from their local public high schools or finished through homeschooling.

The school’s new director, Stacie Buhl, is an alumna of the school. Buhl said that when she took the job, reopening the high school was one of her goals.

In the fall of 2026, Buhl’s goal will become a reality. Grace Christian will offer ninth, 10th and 11th grades for the 2026-2027 school year, in addition to their pre-K through eighth grade programs. Buhl said that the school will add 12th grade for 2027-2028 so that everyone enrolled gets the chance to graduate from the school. The school hopes to add another 50 students for next year and is actively enrolling for all grades.

“As an alumna, I have such a heart for this school,” Buhl said. “I want kids of all ages to be able to experience this close-knit community that invested in my life, and get that same investment in their lives.” Buhl’s three children all attend the school.

As they work to enroll more students, Buhl’s staff is also working hard to strengthen the school and continue its thriving community legacy. They recently hired a new boys varsity basketball coach, Doug Cornwall, and are expanding volleyball and other sports. The school also has an active STEM club, as well as a “thriving” choir, band and praise team. They’re also going to begin offering dual enrollment starting in 11th grade, making it possible for students to graduate from high school already holding an associate degree.

Buhl says the tight-knit community and smaller class sizes keep families coming back.

“Our faculty has a chance to get to know students outside just academics. They really get to know them as a whole person,” Buhl said, adding that it’s common to see alumni enroll their kids or to see them coming back for events or just being active in the school community with their business or their time.

As they work to fill those spots, Buhl and the staff are excited to be able to move on from their experiences during COVID-19 – parents, she said, were “disheartened” not to be able to provide the experience they wanted for their kids, and the school struggled with the decision not to provide it.

Now as the school prepares to open back up to full capacity, it’s time for a new chapter of their story – just in time for their 40th anniversary.

“We’re seeing great responses so far,” Buhl said. “I think we’re seen positively in the community, people trust us and trust us with their child’s education.”

Grace Christian Academy is now enrolling for the 2026-2027 school year. Any interested families can learn more on graceknights.org and get information on how to schedule a tour. The next open house is scheduled for May 21 at 6 p.m.

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