West Bay Christian Academy Information

Doug Brush, John Farrell, Rev. Linwood Bishop, and Rev. Henry Bell, who created the West Bay Christian School Association, Inc., hired the school's very first Headmaster, David C. Greenhalgh. Together, they built a network of support in the surrounding communities and helped put the pieces in place to begin a school. WBCA first opened its doors in 1981 with 60 students in Kindergarten through Grade 6, with four full-time teachers and a secretary. Classrooms, offices, gymnasium, and playgrounds were rented from Quidnessett Baptist Church, and the school rapidly grew to a full K- Grade 8 program. During those early years, West Bay established various satellite programs in a number of facilities in the area, including East Greenwich, Cranston, Narragansett, and Newport. In 1994, after more than a decade of steady growth, West Bay moved its middle school to a new building on the present School Street campus in North Kingstown. An elementary wing was added in 2000, and in 2003 West Bay added a gymnasium, fine arts room, library, and science lab to the facilities. By September 2004, the entire Academy was consolidated on the School Street campus. After a successful Capital Campaign to build an early childhood wing in August of 2009, West Bay began its Early Learning Program. The program was expanded in September 2010 to include a 4 year old Pre-Kindergarten program and a 3 year old Preschool program. West Bay demonstrated its commitment to educational excellence by becoming the first school in Rhode Island to receive accreditation by both NEASC and ACSI. The initial 1990 report commented on "the demonstrated love of the faculty toward their students and their desire and ability to integrate faith and learning within the curriculum. This emphasis has continued through the years as these accreditations have been renewed in 2000 and 2010. Admissions