Star City Christian Academy

Star City Christian Academy

About & Staff

Rooted in faith. Focused on excellence. Built on friendship.

Lori DeJarnette and Rebecca McGee preparing a classroom

Our story

Founded in the fall of 2025 by two lifelong friends.

Star City Christian Academy was founded by Lori DeJarnette and Rebecca McGee, passionate educators and friends of many years. After years of service in the public school system they felt called to create a small, Christ-centered learning environment where children can grow spiritually and academically — with personal attention, hands-on experiences and a whole lot of love.

SCCA is a micro-school, similar to a homeschool co-op, and a ministry of Fellowship Bible Church in Star City, Arkansas.

Our mission

Welcomed, supported and inspired.

Our mission is to cultivate an environment where every person, regardless of their background or beliefs, feels welcomed, supported and inspired. Through worship, outreach, education and creative expression, we aim to empower individuals on their unique journeys of faith and personal growth.

We exist to glorify God, lead children to a relationship with Him, and help students reach their full potential — mind, body and spirit.

Our founders

Who leads SCCA

Lori DeJarnette

Lori DeJarnette

Co-Director · K–5 Administrator · 2nd & 3rd Grade Teacher

  • Certified K–6 Teacher
  • Certified K–12 Teacher for English as a Second Language (ESL/ELL)
  • 20+ years’ experience in public education
  • Former English Language Learner Director, Cleveland County School District

Lori brings joy, creativity and deep experience in working with diverse learners. She loves helping children discover their voice through reading, writing and language. Her spiritual goal is to help children use the pain or hardship in their lives to glorify God — turning hardship into a testimony rather than a life sentence.

Rebecca McGee

Rebecca McGee

Co-Director · 6th–12th Administrator · Middle School Teacher

  • Master’s of Education
  • Certified 4–8 Teacher, all content areas
  • National Board Certified Teacher
  • 18 years’ experience in public education

Rebecca is passionate about helping students reach their full potential and experience the world around them. She loves exposing children to hands-on learning and real-world experiences.

Our staff and ministry partners

The people your child sees every day

Staff of Star City Christian Academy together at a school event
Catherine Garrison

Catherine Garrison

High School Teacher

  • BA English · MA Literature · Ed.S. Curriculum and Instruction Program Administration
  • Certified 7–12 English Language Arts and K–12 Curriculum and Instruction
  • 30 years in public and private education, grade 4 through college
  • Independent Educational Consultant

I want to provide my students with positive and powerful educational experiences so they will enjoy learning and be prepared for whatever God has in store for them.

Renee McBryde

Renee McBryde

K & 1st Grade Teacher

  • Master of Arts in Teaching
  • 21+ years teaching experience
  • Certified Pre-K through 4th grade, all content areas

Renee believes children need to know how much she cares about them before they care about what she wants them to learn. Children may forget what she says, but they will never forget how she made them feel.

But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for such is the kingdom of heaven.” — Matthew 19:14

Chris McGee

Chris McGee

High School History and Bible Instructor

  • BA History · MA Theology and History
  • 26 years teaching and preaching God’s Word
  • Remote instructor, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
  • US Air Force veteran, Air Combat Command — Intelligence Analyst

Chris is committed to teaching Scripture in the context of its original audience, which allows his students to peel back the layers of time and discover the rich depth of meaning waiting beneath the surface of familiar Bible stories.

Rebekah DeWitt-Wallis

Rebekah DeWitt-Wallis

Secondary Math

  • BS Mathematics, minor in Computer Science
  • 14+ years as a mathematics interventionist, classroom teacher and private tutor
  • Homeschooled through Christian Liberty Academy using the A Beka curriculum

It is her joy to help students discover the beauty, logic and order of mathematics while encouraging them to pursue truth, wisdom and excellence to the glory of God.

Jessica Whipple

Jessica Whipple

4th & 5th Grade Instructor

  • 25 years teaching the Abeka curriculum
  • Mother of seven

I love to nurture the beautiful minds of children, inspiring them to love learning, to love the world around them, and most of all, to love the God who made them. Every child has a unique key to unlock his understanding.

Brooklyn Socia

Brooklyn Socia

K–8th Bible Instructor

As a mother and bonus mother, Brooklyn’s role is to nurture, guide, encourage and protect — and to make sure her children have a firm foundation in Jesus Christ. She believes even one small act of kindness can do big things in someone else’s life.

Maegan Brewer

Maegan Brewer

Music and Art Teacher

  • Bachelor of Arts, Instrumental Education
  • Bachelor of Arts, Vocal Education
  • K–12 Music Education
  • 11 years’ experience in public schools

Introduce students to the many aspects of music and how it came to be. Help them dive into a world of imagination and creativity. Guide students through their journey of discovery of sound and rhythm to broaden their world.

Hannah Barajas

Hannah Barajas

Spanish and PE Instructor

Hannah’s heart is to create a space where students feel safe, encouraged and excited to learn. In Spanish class you’ll hear music, see movement, plenty of speaking practice and probably a little laughter too.

I believe confidence grows when kids feel supported — and that joy belongs in the classroom.

Sue Bratton

Sue Bratton

Food Service

Ms. Sue is a mother of five and grandmother and great-grandmother of twenty-four. She retired after twenty-five years working in preschool and is delighted to be part of SCCA.

Christine Earnest

Christine Earnest

Office Assistant

Originally from Northern California, Christine has always had a passion for helping others — a passion that has led her many places.

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” — Isaiah 30:21

Ashley Goodman

Ashley Goodman

Office Admin

A wife and mother of three, Ashley strives to show what it means to be Christ-like through grace and by spreading the love of Jesus. She counts it an honor to share each day with your children.

Jordin Lovell

Jordin Lovell

After Hours Custodian

  • SCCA senior, all As
  • Sr. Beta Club · 4-H Club · Yearbook committee
  • Licensed driver

Jordin is in her second year at Star City Christian Academy and is going into her senior year. She plans to study Medical Laboratory Science online after graduation.

Grace Barajas

Grace Barajas

After School Tutor

  • SCCA junior, straight As
  • 4-H · Sr. Beta · Yearbook committee
  • Licensed driver, trained in CPR

Grace is experienced in childcare and was an after-school substitute tutor last year. She enjoys reading, photography and spending time with her family and friends, and plans to become a dental hygienist after graduation.

Kenslee Luker

Kenslee Luker

After School Tutor

  • SCCA high school student, 4.0 GPA
  • Licensed driver · CPR certified · certified babysitter
  • Yearbook Committee · Sr. Beta Club · Praise Team · tennis

Kenslee plans to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist after graduation.

What we believe

Articles of Faith and Doctrine

These are the convictions Star City Christian Academy is built on. Select any heading to read it in full.

The Bible

We hold that the Holy Bible consists of 66 books from Genesis to Revelation with no additions, subtractions, sequels, or parallel documents of equal authority and inspiration. The Bible was written by men who were chosen and inspired by God to communicate His message to mankind. The Bible lives as pure truth without any mixture of error. It is completely trustworthy in all aspects with no contradict. As such it is the only perfect authority by which all human conduct, behavior, belief, and opinions may be judged and tested. It is the obligation of the world to conform to Holy Scripture. We reject any attempt to modernize Scripture to accommodate the fads of the world.

God

There is only one true God. He is infinite, eternal, and holy. He is all powerful and all knowing. All of creation exits by His divine will and pleasure. He is not a created being and as such stands apart from His creation and is not bound by time, space, or matter. He has revealed Himself to His creation in three persons; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. This is the mystery of the Holy Trinity. The one true God exits in three persons without division, subordination, or difference in essence.

God the Father

God the Father reigns in absolute power and authority over all creation. He is the absolute and perfect embodiment of love, creativity, grace, wisdom, mercy, justice, and knowledge.

God the Son

Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. He is pre-existent as God and the work of creation was wrought through Him. To make a way of redemption for mankind, Christ chose to humble Himself and enter His creation as a man. In His incarnation, He was born of the Virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, worked signs and wonders to confirm His authority, and died a sacrificial death on the cross as propitiation for the sins of the world. He was then raised from the dead in accordance with His divine will and appeared to His disciples and witnesses in a glorified heavenly body. He then ascended into Heaven to again take up His place as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Following His ascension, He commissioned the Church and all believers to share His message of repentance and salvation. We live now in this church age waiting for the day when Christ will return in power and glory to judge the world and complete His work of redemption.

God the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the fully divine and preexistent person of God who inspired chosen men to write the Scriptures. He now indwells all believers and through the work of illumination enables them to understand the truth of the Bible and search out the mysteries of God. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to convict the lost of their sins, guide them to repentance, and cover them in the grace of God when they repent and believe in Christ for salvation. He then works in the lives of believers to cultivate the attributes of Christ in a process called sanctification. He seals the believer permanently as an eternal member of God’s family.

Man

Mankind is a special creation of God made in His own image and created male and female as the pinnacle of His work. In the beginning man was created innocent of sin but just as God chose to create and love mankind, He desired men and women who would choose to love and worship Him in return. Thus by his free choice, man sinned against God, transgressed His just commands, fell from innocence, and allowed death to take the place of grace. God would have been fully just and righteous had He condemned Adam, Eve, and all their posterity to eternal damnation as the wages of their individual sin. Yet through His grace, love, and mercy, God chose to make a way of salvation through Christ Jesus for everyone who will seek it.

Salvation

Salvation is God’s design whereby His chosen children are born again and redeemed from their sins through the blood of Jesus Christ. As such, salvation is not a work of man to be bought, scheduled, bargained for, or worked toward. It is entirely a miraculous work of God accomplished by His will on a spiritual level. Baptism does not initiate, complete, or seal a believer’s salvation. Rather it is an act of obedience to Christ’s command as an outward symbol of the believers faith in a crucified, buried, and risen savior and that believers decision to bury his old life and walk on a new life as a born again child of the Most High God. Therefore, there is no salvation in any other faith, religion, or philosophy created by man. Salvation can only be found apart from man’s efforts and is the free gift of God through Christ Jesus.

The Church

The New Testament Church exists by the grace and protection of Christ Jesus. It is an autonomous local body of baptized believers called to voluntarily associate together through their common faith and fellowship. The congregation represents the Body of Christ at work in the world. Each member is individually gifted and accountable to work within the church to sharpen the faith of his brothers and sisters in Christ and to work outside the church to spread the Good News of salvation and redemption through Christ. The New Testament recognizes two spiritual offices of authority within the church: that of pastor (sometimes called elder or overseer) and deacon. While all believers are gifted and called to serve God, these offices are limited to men as called by God and qualified by Scripture.

The Work of Believers and Evangelism

It is the joyful duty and eternal privilege of every believer, through every Bible believing Church, to follow The Great Commission as set out by Christ Jesus. To this end believers are called to make disciples of all nations and upon their individual profession of faith in Jesus Christ, see them baptized into the church, and taught the doctrines of God through the study of Scripture.

Believers are called to imitate Christ. Therefore, just as it is His desire that all men come to Him for salvation; all believers should seek to win the lost through prayer, evangelism, and loving persuasion.

Education

God is the father and fount of all wisdom and knowledge. Christianity is the faith of enlightenment and intelligence. All truth and sound learning therefore belongs to God. Therefore any education that does not acknowledge God as creator and sustainer stands incomplete. It is this error that has led to the perversion of education in our modern world. Despite towering gifts of intellect, any effort to understand the created world while denying the existence of the Almighty Creator is doomed to abject failure and will lead only to godless absurdities such as evolution, spontaneous creation (the Big Bang Theory), transgenderism, moral relativism, and any number of other spiritually bankrupt errors. In Christian education a balance between academic freedom and Biblical accountability is essential as we seek to honor God and understand His creation.

The Family

God ordained and designed the family as the bedrock institution upon which human civilization stands. Biblical marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in a lifetime covenant before God. It is God’s unique gift to mankind meant to mirror the sacred union between Christ and His church. It is through marriage that God intends the blessings of children. These children, from the moment of conception, are unique individuals created by God and worthy of protection and love. They are a blessing and heritage from God. Just as parents have a duty to honor and obey God, children have a duty to honor and obey their parents within the framework of the family as established by God. The perversion of the family is a direct attack by Satan on the things of God; thus anything apart from God’s design of marriage between one man and one woman is a vile and illegitimate abomination that has no place in a God honoring society, Bible believing church, or God’s eternal Kingdom.

Come and meet them yourself.

The best way to understand SCCA is to walk the halls and talk to the teachers.