Celebrating Highlights from a Successful School Year

Ecclesiastes 7:8 states, “The end of a matter is better than its beginning…” As the 2025-26 school year draws to a close and Berean Academy marks its 80th anniversary, there is so much to be grateful for to God as a school. Time and space do not permit me to list everything, but here are a few highlights:

• Multiple student “1” ratings at the state music festival again this year

• The launch of the school’s entrepreneurship program and the first student-run business, “Academy Grind,” a mobile coffee cart

• The launch of the school’s first-ever student podcasts 

• The boys' varsity basketball team finished second in the state

• Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) results for grades 1-8 increased by 18 percentage points

• The public launch of Stage One of our Phase III Kingdom Building Campaign to remodel and upgrade the secondary wing, built in 1960… approximately 66% of the funds have been raised to date!

• The school’s 77th commencement celebration, with the class of 2026 receiving their diplomas on May 16

I would be remiss if I failed to mention the retirement of Mark Anderson, after 39 years of faithful service at Berean Academy. He has taught a variety of classes over the years, but in recent years has focused on business/economics and personal finance. Thank you, Mark, for nearly four decades of dedicated service for Christ at Berean Academy! Other long-term employees who are left at the end of the school year are Joni Nord, Cindy Matzek, and Megan Bell. They have served with distinction and dedication during their time at the school. Thank you for your service!

To all Berean Academy community members, I want to thank you for your partnership in this vital ministry of preparing the next generation of Christ followers to make an impact for God’s Kingdom through their lives. The partnership between the home, school, and local church is what has made the school a success over the past 80 years and will help ensure its success in the future. Twenty-seven more names and pictures have been added to the school’s photo gallery (“funny papers”). May they impact the world for generations to come with the saving message of the Gospel!