By Fox23.com News Staff
VINITA, Okla. — A longtime private Christian school in Vinita will close its doors at the end of this school year, marking the end of more than two decades of education and community involvement.
Cowboy Junction Christian School administrators say the decision to close was not made lightly after serving families for 22 years.
School administrator Michelle Markham said the school began with just 17 students and steadily grew over the years.
“We started 22 years ago with 17 students, and we’ve grown from there,” Markham said. “We specialize in Christian education, a place where it’s a smaller environment where there’s smaller classrooms, and we really get to know our families.”
Decision comes after leadership changes and ongoing challenges
Markham said the decision to close came after significant changes within the church community that supports the school. The founders of the school passed away within the last 18 months, leaving a major impact on the program.
“It was not an easy decision,” Markham said. “It was one that we wrestled with for some time. The founders of Cowboy Junction have both passed away in the last 18 months, and they were instrumental in starting the program.”
She described the school as an outreach of the church for more than two decades, but said leadership felt it was time to shift focus toward the church’s future.
“We know that this is a season that has come to an end,” Markham said. “For everything, there’s a season, and we had a 22-year season that we got to spend with these families.”
Funding and staffing challenges also played a role
Along with leadership changes, Markham said financial pressures and staffing shortages contributed to the closure decision.
Funding challenges tied to state-level changes and difficulty finding qualified teachers made it harder to sustain the school.
“Funding, of course, is an issue,” Markham said. “Getting staff is hard to do. Finding qualified teachers that want to teach in a Christian environment in a small environment is sometimes a bit of a challenge.”
She added that as a smaller school without athletics programs, it could not always meet every need families or teachers were seeking.
“All those things kind of came together,” she said. “We just felt like we have given all that we have and that we did the very best we could, and we’re ready for a new challenge.”
Community support remains strong
Despite the closure, Markham said the school has received strong support from current and former families and the broader community.
“Our community was so involved with the things that we did here,” she said. “We’ve partnered with so many agencies and businesses.”
She said hearing from former students has been especially meaningful, noting that this year included second-generation students — children of former students — attending the school.
“Getting to hear from old students and staff and just celebrating the work that we did here has been great,” Markham said.
Finishing the year with celebrations and new experiences
School leaders say they plan to make the final weeks memorable for students.
Markham said staff members are focusing on creating positive experiences as the year winds down.
“We want our kids to know that they’re loved and they’re cherished,” she said.
The school also plans to hold a summer program in June and July, which staff have dubbed the “best summer ever.” Activities will include academic goals, museum visits, and possible road trips designed to give students new experiences before the school officially closes.
“We’re going to finish strong and do some fun stuff for the rest of the school year,” Markham said.
Looking ahead to the next chapter
While the school’s closure marks the end of a chapter, Markham said church leaders are focusing on the future and growth of their ministry.
“For our church, our next chapter is really focused on our church,” she said. “We’re really spending our time to focus on growing our church and building our church for the next 22 years.”
Families are now preparing for the transition to new schools next year, as the Cowboy Junction community reflects on more than two decades of education, faith, and connection.
