BCA/LUTHERAN SCHOOL HISTORY

In 1887, the members of First Lutheran Church, Chattanooga, Tenn., founded a Lutheran school to provide for the religious and secular training of the children with the church. It has been in continuous operation since that time and completed its 135th year as of June 3, 2022. The school is jointly supported by First Lutheran Church on McCallie Avenue and Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, next to the school, on Belvoir Avenue.

The first structure was built in 1887 to serve the congregation and school in the vicinity of Terminal Station where the Chattanooga Choo-Choo now stands. Later it was relocated to the corner of 14th Street and Rossville Avenue. In 1923, the congregation moved to Highland Park where a new three-room school was built at the corner of Hickory and Bennett Avenues.

As the school continued to grow, the present site on Belvoir Avenue was purchased and the new school was completed in 1951. In 1971, a four-room addition was constructed to accommodate the expanding enrollment. Then, in the early morning of Dec.16, I972, fire destroyed the building and damaged the new addition. The school continued to operate in a number of locations through the kindness of many people and businesses in the Chattanooga community.

After considerable prayer and discussion, the school was rebuilt to meet the growing demands for Christian school in the Chattanooga area. In 2006, the Lutheran School was renamed "Belvoir Christian Academy" to be reflective of the local Belvoir area, as well as to indicate our Christian heritage and beliefs.  Today's building, completed in 1973, is now home to approximately 200 students, for infants, starting at age six weeks, through the eighth grade.