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Lucas Christian Academy going for the prize

Submitted photo - LCA mom Karen Shackelford checks school's status in Kohl's contest on Facebook with students. Left to right: Kimberly Schram, Haley Vasquez, Karen Shackelford, Catherine Shackelford and Noah Shackelford.

Published: Sunday, August 29, 2010 6:10 PM CDT
Lucas Christian Academy is being called “The Little School That Could” and hopes to soon become the “Little School That Did”--win, that is. For weeks, its students, staff and parents have been actively collecting votes around the community--and even around the world, via Facebook-—for a chance to win $500,000 in the Kohl’s Cares $10 Million Giveaway.


“We are a small school with a big vision,” said one parent. ”It’s truly a David and Goliath kind of story.”

Lucas Christian Academy, with its student body of only 276 students, is small compared to some of the larger schools in the competition. Although the contest is open to all schools nationwide, only the top 20 schools with the most votes will win. LCA is the only school in Texas to have made it this far.

“We are moving up in the competition against all odds, but it has not been without a lot of hard work and some amazingly committed folks,” said another parent. “The numbers change by the minute. This is a very close race.” Currently ranked at No. 8, the goal is to remain near the top until the contest ends on Sept. 3.

LCA mom Karen Shackelford caught the vision and spearheaded the effort with several other parents when she heard about the opportunity to win $500,000 for her children’s school.

“We desperately need to pay off our land and start building classrooms for our kids. We’re at the point where some students are having class in the hallway, and our boys’ football teams are using an old school bus as a locker room. This is a perfect opportunity for us.”

Lucas Christian Academy is a University Model School, where the students attend class three days a week and are home schooled two. The school is known for its excellence in academics within the framework of Christian discipleship, and draws students from all over Collin County.

Many of the local churches, colleges and supermarkets have welcomed LCA families to set up laptops on tables and ask passersby for their votes.

“We have regular strategy meetings and then send out parents and kids to different locations to get votes. We’ve had a wonderful response around the community. People are eager to help,” Shackelford said.

Lucas Christian Academy has partnered with two other Christian schools and is doing its best to bring them up the ranks to winning, as well. After voters have cast the first five votes for LCA, they are encouraged to cast their remaining 15 for the partner schools. The idea is that “a cord of three strands is not easily broken.”

Anyone can vote and help Lucas Christian Academy win $500,000 in the Kohl’s Cares Giveaway. Simply log onto www.LucasChristianAcademy.com and follow the instructions to vote and enter to win a free iPad.

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The following are comments from the readers.
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mgschipper wrote on Aug 31, 2010 10:40 PM:
" Great story! Please vote 5X to help us finish in the top 20. We are the only TEXAS school in the top! "
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