LPCA School Profile

Community

Liberty Preparatory Christian Academy (Liberty Prep) was founded in 2010 in the Lake Norman area of North Carolina, approximately 25 miles north of the city of Charlotte. Liberty Prep is a K-12 school, conveniently located central to Lake Norman and its surrounding areas and is one of the few private, Christian preparatory schools in the region. Liberty Prep is non-denominational, with families at the school attending over 70 churches, representing a diverse range of denominations within the Christian faith. The student body identifies as 92% Caucasian and 8% African American, Native American, Asian, Hispanic, Biracial, or Other. Current K-12 enrollment is 429 students.

School

Liberty Prep is a University-Model School ®, a unique model of education bringing together the best attributes of traditional public and private schools, as well as independent study, integrating them into one. Using a university-style course schedule allows students to receive professional instruction by highly qualified and degreed instructors in the central classroom on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Students complete teacher-prepared lessons in the satellite (home) classroom, under a parent’s mentorship and guidance on Wednesday and Friday. The immediate goal is a quality, cost-effective, college preparatory education, set in a Christian environment. The key feature of this unique model is professional classroom instruction partnered with caring parental guidance at home where the parent is the primary influence in the student’s life, and the teacher is the primary educator.

Liberty Prep is a comprehensive four-year private high school with a current enrollment of 132 students in grades 9–12. In 2015, the school celebrated its inaugural graduating class of 5 students, while the Class of 2022 included 15 graduates. Liberty Prep is certified by the National Association of University Model Schools and is accredited by Cognia. Additionally, the school holds membership in the College Board and the National Association of University Model Schools, and is registered with the NCAA.

Liberty Prep and the University Model School education promote and implement a college preparatory level of academic challenge and rigor. Students learn to work in a traditional teacher-led classroom alongside their peers, while also developing independent learning skills that promote college success.

Curriculum

The academic program is organized on a standard class schedule, with core academic courses being yearlong in scope and elective offerings, semester based. Students take six, 50-minute, classes on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday each week, and have teacher-directed lessons that are designed to be approximately an hour per subject on Wednesday and Friday. Students attend classes either on campus or in a satellite location five days per week. Despite the pandemic, Liberty Prep returned to its normal operating schedule with in-person classes, 3 days/week, and satellite instruction from home, 2 days/week, at the start of the 2020-21 academic school year. Historically, students are given the opportunity to attend a week-long intensive “Winterim” course during the 2nd semester of the year for an additional half-credit elective. Upon successful completion of the “Winterim,” students may earn a potential of six and a half credits per year while participating in the traditional Liberty Prep schedule. ***Please note that “Winterim” was canceled in the Spring of 2020 due to COVID-19, so the Class of 2023 only had the potential to earn six credits as freshmen. Furthermore, they completed the 4th quarter of freshman year in the 2019-20 school year fully online beginning March 23, 2020 with instruction delivered virtually and no change to grading policies.   

Students are required to take a minimum of 2 credits in world language to graduate. Liberty Prep currently offers Spanish I, II, and III at a standard level. With regard to higher-level course options, the Class of 2023 had opportunities to take World History, English Language & Composition, English Literature & Composition, Psychology, and Calculus as AP® course selections.  Honors courses are offered in English 9, 10, 11, and 12; World History I and II, US History, Government/Economics; Biology, Anatomy, Chemistry, Physics; Algebra II and Pre-Calculus. As juniors and seniors, students may take dual enrollment courses in partnership with Mitchell Community College. 

Graduation Requirements

A minimum of 24 credits is required for graduation. In addition, each student must complete a 100-hour community service graduation requirement.  

Grade Point Average (GPA) Calculation

GPA is computed using the quality points as outlined in the following tables. Beginning with grade nine, all subjects, whether passed or failed, are included in the computation (Winterim is pass/fail and is excluded). Grades are recorded on the transcript at each semester’s end. However, only final grades compute and calculate toward a student’s GPA and as such, are documented on the transcript in May once grades for year-long classes are finalized.