What makes MCS a Christian school?
As stated in our missions statement, MCS is a Christ-centered educational program and Christ is to be the center of all that we do in educating the students. The essential element that carries out Christian education is the Christian teacher. All of our teachers and staff at MCS are committed Christian believers, dedicated to Christ. There are weekly chapels and daily Bible classes. Christ and His Word, the Bible, are to be taught and integrated in all subject areas and all activities.

How does MCS operate as an organization, who is in charge and what is the relationship between MCS and Maranatha Chapel?
The Superintendent of MCS is empowered to lead the school by managing the day-to-day operations and enforcing established policies. MCS is a ministry of Maranatha Chapel.

What denomination is Maranatha Chapel?
Maranatha Chapel is a non-denominational church. Maranatha Chapel is a sister church of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa founded by Chuck Smith.

Does my family have to attend church to attend MCS?
The families of MCS do not have to be attending a church to attend MCS. Although in order to support what they are learning at school, church attendance should be a priority.

Do all the students here at MCS need to be Christians?
MCS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies and other school-administered programs. The mission of Maranatha Christian Schools is to equip students to fulfill God’s purposes in their daily lives. It is our prayer that every student eventually experience Jesus as his or her Lord and Savior.

What are the religions of the students at MCS?
There are a variety of religious affiliations at MCS.

What are MCS’s plans for the future?
We have completed our plan for a complete program Preschool through 12th grade. We have additional expansion plans to be completed in the future.

Does MCS provide tuition assistance or Scholarships?
At the present time, there is no tuition assistance program or scholarship available to our students.

What is accreditation and is MCS accredited?
Accreditation is a self-study conducted by school officials, which is then verified by an outside independent agency. The accreditation process determines if the school meets clearly defined standards. The major goal of accreditation is self-improvement. MCS maintains a dual accreditation with ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International) and WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges).

Do all of your teachers have credentials?
As part of the ACSI accreditation process, 80% or better of our teachers are required to hold the ACSI credential. In combination with the ACSI credential, State of California credentials, and credentials from other states, nearly 100% of our teachers hold a valid teaching credential. We have several that possess a Masters degree as well.

What is MCS discipline policy?
Our goal is to promote a high standard of personal conduct in our students. This is accomplished through respect for one another, for those in authority and through observance of rules and guidelines as expressed in the Student Handbook. We teach that students are responsible for their actions. Failure to respond to correction and disregard of warnings result in consequences appropriate to the offense. Students are not expected to exhibit perfect behavior, but growth in Christ-like behavior is our goal for each and every child.

How does MCS provide for a safe campus environment?
It is our priority here at MCS to keep our students safe, so we try to take every precaution possible. MCS offices are placed in the front of the campus so that any and all visitors on the campus are asked to sign in and take a school badge. We practice school safety drills such as fire, earthquake and lockdowns. Our playground staff uses walkie-talkies to inform the office and others on campus of any peculiar activities. Each classroom has an intercom system to be used in cases of lockdowns or other emergencies. We have developed a close working relationship with the local police department that visit our campus on a regular basis.

What are the class sizes?
Kindergarten average class size is 22.
Elementary average class size is 24-26.
Junior High average class size is 26.

What curriculum does MCS use?
MCS uses a variety of publishers to provide curriculum materials. In each subject area, teachers and administrators evaluate the publishers to provide an up-to-date and challenging learning experience. We follow the state framework and some of the standards. All curriculums are continuously evaluated for integrity of content and are used with Christian interpretation and application. We use: Bob Jones, Abeka, ACSI, Saxon and Excel.

If I have a student that is excelling in a subject, can your program accommodate him?
If we see that a student is excelling we will present additional work that will challenge him/her. We believe that students should use their minds to the fullest potential because it is a gift from God.

Does MCS allow parental involvement?
MCS welcomes parental involvement in a variety of ways. These ways include leadership and participation in fund-raising, volunteering time in the classroom as permitted by the teacher, donating funds to provide for programs beyond what tuition can provide, providing supervision with field trips and social activities, and participating with PTSF (Parent Teacher Student Fellowship).

If I have a student that has special needs can your program accommodate him?
MCS reserves the right to select students on the basis of academic performance, religious commitment, lifestyle choices, and personal qualifications, including a willingness to cooperate with MCS administration and policies. However, we try to meet the needs of all our students. In some cases we will place our students on an academic contract. This is an agreement with the teacher, parent, student and administration.