BY JOHN H. WALKER
L’Observateur

RESERVE — The economy — leading to a decline in enrollment and ever-increasing costs — have led officials of Reserve Christian Academy to announce the closing of the high school at the end of the current school year.

The school, located on the north side of Highway 61 in Reserve, is affiliated with Reserve Christian Church, an interdenominational Full Gospel church founded in 1975 by Rev. Rod Aguillard Jr.

School administrator Mike Marix said, “Enrollment has gone down. That is one of the major factors.”

State enrollment data showed 143 students last October, 152 in 2007-08 and 154 in 2006-07. But bigger declines occurred in both 2003 and 2004, when enrollment plummeted from 371 to 218 and then to 176.

Marix said the school plans to start a “full-fledged day care” on June 1 that will operate five days a week. Currently, it has a three-day-a week program.

“We run an excellent school,” he said. “It takes a lot of finances to run an excellent program.”

Marix said 90 percent of the school’s graduates go to four-year colleges, 5 percent enter two-year colleges and about 5 percent enter other post-secondary programs.

According to the state Department of Education, the school’s high school is state-approved, qualifying it to receive state and federal assistance. It was unclear how much aid, if any, the school received, but officials said it relied primarily on tuition.

The school is fresh from winning its fifth straight state Class C basketball championship last weekend and basketball coach Timmy Byrd disclosed to L’Observateur sports editor Ryan Arena that his players knew there was a possibility this would be the last year for the program as they heading into the final rounds of the tournament. Arena has more on the athletic program in sports.