CATLETTSBURG — From the first day of school, Keyur Patel knew he would be valedictorian of the class of 2009 at Calvary Christian School, not just because he is an excellent student — which he was — but also because he was the only member of the senior class.

But graduating from a small, little known and unaccredited Christian school in Boyd County has not prevented Patel from being accepted by some of the best colleges in Kentucky. He soon will begin his studies at Bellarmine University in Louisville, where he has received a scholarship valued at almost $17,000 for each of his four years of study.

Such academic success by Calvary students is not unusual, said Denise Wallace, who has been director of the school since it was at Grassland Community Church in Bear Creek Road 17 years ago.

All Calvary graduates are expected to go on to college, Wallace said, and alumni of the Christian school are attending the University of Kentucky, Berea, Transylvania, Asbury and Ashland Community and Technical College. In addition to Bellarmine, Patel was accepted at Georgetown College and the University of Louisville.

How does a graduate of an unaccredited school gain entrance into prestigious universities and colleges? By getting “really high” scores on their college entrance examinations, Wallace said. Those scores convince the colleges the applicants have received a quality education at Calvary.

While it never is certain how many students it will have until the first day of classes, 52 students are enrolled for the 2009-10 school year from 4-year-old kindergarten through the 12th grade.

While it makes for small classes, Wallace is convinced it is one of Calvary’s strengths.

“We can offer one-on-one instruction that is impossible for other schools to offer,” she said. “Our teachers are all so gifted and dedicated, and they instill a real love of learning in our students. I cannot say enough about our faculty.”

Calvary currently has a staff of 17 teachers, and none of them are in it for the money, Wallace said. The highest salary is $11,000 a year with no benefits.

“Our staff salaries are so small for such highly trained, degreed teachers,” she said. “But no one ever complains. They see it as a ministry, and like all ministries, sacrifices have to be made. The dedicated staff, volunteers and parents have a heart for God and a desire for their students to be grounded in him and make this school work.”

Fortunately, the teachers have spouses who earn enough for them to work for such low salaries and still make ends meet, Wallace said.

The teachers enjoy the small classes and the opportunity to share their faith with their students, Wallace said. Every teacher knows all the students and encourages them to work hard. They also enjoy not having all the paperwork that comes with being a teacher in public schools.

“This is a good place to work,” Wallace said. “It’s a labor of love.”

Calvary tries to keep tuition affordable and offers scholarships for students unable to pay.

“Our tuition doesn’t begin to cover our costs,” Wallace said. “Even if we had 300 students, we would not generate enough income from tuition to meet our expenses.”

Most of the school’s income comes from fundraisers and donations. It has received a few grants over the years, including a recent one from the Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital Foundation. Grassland provides the space and pays the utility bills for the school, while the school helps the church pay for janitorial services.

“God is faithful and he finds a way for us to keep our doors open,” Wallace said. “If God wasn’t in this, we would have closed a long time ago.”

The school uses the ABEKA curriculum developed by the Pensacola Christian College in Florida.

“It is an excellent program that incorporates our Christian faith into every subject,” Wallace said. “Some people ask, ‘How can you incorporate Christianity in math?’ But there is math throughout the Bible, whether it be the 12 disciples or the 40 days of rain in the story of Noah. The same is true of all subjects.”

Wallace said as a teacher and administrator she is most proud of the opportunity Calvary Christian School provides young people “to hear the word of God and incorporate him in their lives. There’s no guarantee that all of them will make God an important part of their lives, but they will hear God’s word while they are here.”

Both of her daughters attended Calvary since kindergarten. The oldest, Lauren, is a junior at Asbury College in Wilmore, and a recipient of the school’s presidential scholarship, of which only one a year is offered. She currently is part of Asbury’s mission team.

The younger daughter, Bethany, is a junior at Calvary.

“Personally, I am most proud of my two daughters,” she said. “They are both good kids.”

Wallace recently was awarded the Harry Denman Evangelism Award at the annual meeting of the Kentucky Conference of the United Methodist Church. The award is given annually to an outstanding minister and an outstanding lay leader in the conference and includes all but the far western portion of Kentucky. Wallace received the award for her years of dedication at Calvary Christian School.

Although it has been around for 17 years, Wallace said many residents of Boyd County know little or nothing about Calvary.

“I am constantly running into people who tell me they have never heard of Calvary Christian School,” She said. “But we have been doing God’s work for 17 years and plan to keep on doing it for as long as he allows us.”

JOHN CANNON can be reached at jcannon@dailyindependent.com or at (606) 326-2649.