Highview Christian Academy expands to former Parkman school

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

    PARKMAN — Highview Christian Academy’s motto is “A school on the move.”
    That became quite evident last week as the academy announced the purchase of the former Carroll L. McKusick Elementary School in Parkman.

Observer photo/Mike Lange

    NEW SCHOOL — Highview Christian Academy finalized the purchase of the old McKusick Elementary School in Parkman last week. Pictured, from left, are Annie Wilhite and her husband, Scott, the former owners; Jay Philbrick, headmaster of Highview Christian Academy; and Philbrick’s mother, Mona-Jean Philbrick, director of development, fundraising and communications. Absent from the photo was Suzanne Page, the Wilhites’ business partner.

    The new building will be known as Highview Christian Academy North Campus and will offer preschool and child care for youngsters age 3-5, according to headmaster Jay Philbrick.
    “We’re hoping to enroll at least 30 youngsters in the program,” said Philbrick. “We’ll also offer transportation for anyone in the Parkman area who wishes to attend the academy in Charleston.”
    The north campus held a parents’ informational meeting on Nov. 15, although Philbrick conceded that they didn’t expect a huge turnout. “When we planned this, we didn’t realize it was on the same weekend as the Word of Life Super Bowl,” he said.
    More than 1,800 teens were expected at the three-day event in Lewiston, geared toward churches with active youth groups. The Lewiston schedule included a Pirates hockey game, bowling and roller skating.
    Still, Philbrick said that many families are looking for an alternative to secular schools. “We have 90 students enrolled at Charleston from pre-K to grade 12 including many international youngsters, and we’re still growing,” he said.
    Highview Christian Academy bought the Parkman school from Scott and Annie Wilhite of Guilford, who had planned to open Logos Learning Center at the facility, a Christian-themed day care center.
    But Scott Wilhite said that Highview Christian Academy was in a better position to run their program because of their staffing and experience. “The Lord opened a different door for us, so it worked out well,” Wilhite said. “The mission is the same, and the community has been very supportive in terms of manpower and donations.”
    Jay Philbrick’s mother, Mona-Jean Philbrick, and her late husband, Ernest, founded Highview Christian Academy in 1994. She now serves in numerous roles as director of development, fundraising and communications and the principal designated school official (PDSO) for the Department of Immigration. “We’ve very excited about being in the Guilford area,” she said. “In Charleston, we draw most of our students from the east toward the Bangor area, so we’re really in a whole new market.”
    McKusick Elementary was built in 1955 and was extensively renovated in the late 1990s. But as the school age population dwindled in the area, SAD 4 closed the facility in 2000 and turned it over to the town of Parkman.
    Local resident Kirk Kimball bought the property from the town and announced plans to turn it into a senior citizens’ assisted living center.
    Last year, Rev. Jack Weeks of Solon attempted to buy the old school from Kimball and turn it into a church and family homeless shelter, but fundraising efforts fell short and the plans were abandoned.
    The Wilhites then bought the building in April 2013. “Now, it’s going to be a school again,” said Scott Wilhite. “You couldn’t ask for a better outcome.”
    More information about the school is posted at www.highviewchristianacademy.org.