First Baptist Christian Academy holds ribbon cutting to reunify campus in Palm Coast

The newly renovated facility at 1 Pine Lakes Parkway will serve elementary and middle school students.

By Observer Staff
| 12:01 p.m. August 13, 2024

Lead Pastor Kevin Lautar and his wife, Ann Lautar, cut the ribbon on the new First Baptist Christian Academy. Courtesy photo by Sandro de Carvalho

Students and their families attend the ribbon cutting. Courtesy photo by Sandro de Carvalho

Lead Pastor Kevin Lautar speaks at the ribbon cutting. Courtesy photo by Sandro de Carvalho

First Baptist Christian Academy celebrated the grand opening of its new facility on Aug. 12. Courtesy photo by Sandro de Carvalho

First Baptist Christian Academy Head of School Dr. Max Fernandez. Courtesy photo by Sandro de Carvalho.

Palm Coast Observer
Schools

The First Baptist Christian Academy held a ribbon cutting on Monday, Aug. 12, for its renovated facility on 1 Pine Lakes Parkway, combining two properties to reunify the school and create one 23-acre campus for First Baptist Church of Palm Coast and First Baptist Christian Academy at the northwest corner of Pine Lakes and Palm Coast parkways.

First Baptist Christian Academy opened on the campus of the First Baptist Church of Palm Coast in August 2008 as a pre-school, FBCPA Lead Pastor Kevin Lautar told guests at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

"The first year we enrolled 13 children in our preschool program. Over the successive years we added higher grades as students progressed and as our enrollment grew," he said.

In 2014, enrollment surpassed 200 students from 2 years old through 11th grade. The school outgrew the church facilities. It relocated to the historic Flagler County courthouse in Bunnell in August, 2015. In 2019, with continued expansion, the preschool moved back to the church campus.

In July of 2022, the church and school began the process of expanding classroom space, Pastor Lautar said. They added a second story to the church's education building for a new high school — ninth- through 12-graders moved into the new addition in October, 2023 — and they bought the property at 1 Pine Lakes Parkway. The newly renovated facility will serve elementary and middle school students.

"As school Year 2024-2025 begins, FBCA has enrolled over 600 students in infant to 12th grade classes and currently has the room to grow to over 750 students in the next few years fully utilizing our new combined campus," Lautar said. "We continue to look forward and dream about the great things that God has in store for FBCA."