25 enroll in new private school

Stephanie Reinertsen was the inspiration for Echo Lake Christian Academy, a grades K-12 private school that opened in September at Echo Lake Church, 1355 Macopin Road.

“I taught at Garfield High School for 16 years,” said Reinertsen, who is Echo Lake’s principal. “During COVID, I had a desire for my children to attend Christian school, and I was sitting at my kitchen table one day when I got the idea to start a school because there wasn’t a Christian school within a 30-mile radius of West Milford.”

A ministry of Echo Lake Church, the school requires students to regularly attend church though not necessarily at Echo Lake.

“We are looking for families that want a Christian education because in our school, the Lord is the main focus,” said Reinertsen. “Biblical principles are integrated into every subject, and we commit to academic excellence, which includes teaching students how to apply the truths of God’s word to every aspect of life.”

The school has 25 students; a third of them are from outside Echo Lake Church, Reinertsen said.

“We have students from Ringwood, Kinnelon, Haledon and West Milford, and the focus is on self-instructed learning,” she said.

“When kids apply, they take a diagnostic test and are placed not necessarily by grade level but by performance level. We offer a hybrid model for homeschool families, where students attend school on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and are homeschooled by their parents on Mondays and Fridays.”

The tuition for the hybrid program is $6,000. For students attending full-time, the tuition is $7,500.

The school has a 10-month payment plan option, using a program called Raise Right that can help families offset tuition costs.

As the school grows, it may be moved to a larger space in the township, Reinertsen said.