Wayne McEntire was hired to lead King’s Academy as its head of school in 2019, according to previous reports from the Tyler Morning Telegraph.

King’s Academy Christian School in Tyler recently welcomed Wayne McEntire as the new administrator for the school. McEntire has degrees in theology and religious education from Louisiana College, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

King’s Academy Christian School is a University Model school located on the campus of Colonial Hills Baptist Church. In this model, students attend classes on campus certain days each week and complete teacher-assigned work at home on the other days. McEntire said that several streams came together to make King’s the perfect place for his family.

He was introduced to Christian schooling when he accepted a position teaching Bible to high school students in Houston at the age of 28. He and his family later moved to Gainesville and began home schooling because there was not a full service Christian school available. He and his wife, Kyla, found it to be a family friendly alternative to conventional schooling.

“I was so intrigued that I did my Ph.D. dissertation on an aspect of home schooling,” McEntire said. “My findings showed that homeschoolers generally do well academically and even socially. They are also less likely to engage in risky behaviors. If there was a downside, it was that many students educated at home did not describe themselves as ‘upbeat’ or ‘encouraged.’ Lack of opportunities for public recognition, perceptions of being ‘different’ than conventionally schooled youth, and the challenge of parents to perform dual roles of taskmaster and cheerleader may contribute to this.”

In 2001, McEntire was introduced to the University Model of schooling, but home-school families in Gainesville did not have the people resources to launch a school. McEntire served as a pastor and principal of Hamilton Christian School in Lake Charles, Louisiana, after leaving Gainesville. When the position of administrator became available at King’s, he sought out the opportunity.

“The University Model approach is a godsend to those who want both the family friendly advantages of home schooling and the positive aspects of conventional school,” he said. “In introducing KACS to prospective parents he points out that the school affords parents more time with their children and they still have the help of master teachers and a venue to participate in athletics and extracurricular activities. Bible classes, chapel services and mission projects reinforce the values parents are emphasizing at home.

“Many of our families are able to qualify for financial aid, so there is really no reason not to investigate the KACS advantage,” he said.

He and his wife, Kyla, have been married for 28 years and have five children and one grandchild. Kyla McEntire works as an occupational therapist and will serve as the school’s volleyball coach. She played on the collegiate level at West Texas State, now called West Texas A&M, and coached the high school team at Hamilton Christian.