Annual Report · 2025–2026

Deep Roots, Strong Faith

A year of planting deeply — in Christ, in our families, and in preparing a permanent home.

The students, faculty, and staff of Harvest Academy, 2025–2026

Read the report

From the Head of School

Roots Before Fruit

Dear Harvest Families and Friends,

When we chose Deep Roots, Strong Faith as our theme for 2025–2026, I had no idea how literally the Lord would take us up on it. Paul prays in Ephesians 3 that we would be “rooted and established in love.” This year we watched that prayer take shape in our classrooms, in our homes, and at 5515 North Church Street.

Roots do their best work where no one can see them. Our third year was full of that kind of hidden, faithful work: kindergarteners sounding out their first words, 6th graders wrestling with Latin, teachers planning long after the building emptied, and parents carrying the lessons home on home days. None of it makes headlines, but all of it is root-work. The one who delights in the Lord “is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season” (Psalm 1:3). Fruit comes in season. Roots come first.

This was also the year the Lord began preparing a permanent home for us. While classes continued at Gospel Baptist Church — whose generosity we will never forget — work began on our future campus. Buildings were purchased, a playground designed and installed, and the architects, engineers, and volunteers got to work. Like the people of Nehemiah’s day, many of our families truly “worked with all their heart” (Nehemiah 4:6).

Three years ago, Harvest was three teachers and a few parents around a dining room table with a pile of brand-new curriculum. To our faculty and staff: thank you for offering yourselves as living sacrifices, day after day (Romans 12:1). To our families: thank you for trusting us with your children and for pouring your time, talents, and treasure into this community. To every donor, sponsor, church, and friend: whether your gift was large or small, it mattered. Small hinges swing big doors.

As we look ahead with mustard-seed faith, we know the Lord is not finished. As we pray toward our upper school campus and the campaign that will build it, we need everyone all in. Whether you pray, give, serve, or invite a friend who should know what God is doing at Harvest Academy, there is a place for you in this work.

Thank you for planting with us.

In Christ,

James Carter

Head of School

Our Theme · Deep Roots, Strong Faith

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Ephesians 3:16–19 (NIV)

Harvest students gathered around a young tree they planted together

The Year at a Glance

Our Third Year

Founded in 2023 with three teachers, Harvest completed its third full year in 2025–2026 — and began preparing a permanent home in which to grow.

143

Students, kindergarten through 6th grade

As of May 2026

Years since our founding in 2023

As of May 2026

$469,900

Given by 55 donors

As of May 2026

$560,400

Invested in preparing our future campus

As of May 2026

Modular classroom buildings acquired

As of May 2026

87%

Of students tested scored above the national average

As of May 2026

The Year in Review

August 2025
Our third school year opens with kindergarten through 6th grade.
September 2025
Fall Festival brings families and neighbors together.
October 2025
A $200,000 gift funds a new playground and perimeter fencing. One modular classroom building is purchased for the new campus.
November 2025
Our first Gathering brings friends of Harvest together. A second modular classroom building is purchased.
Spring 2026
Architects, engineers, and a traffic study prepare the North Church Street campus for students.
Spring 2026
The Spring Gala honors our three founding teachers.
June 2026
Renovations, fencing, and site work continue at 5515 N Church St. to prepare Harvest’s permanent home.

Our School

Rooted in Christ, Growing in Wisdom

A University-Model® Classical Christian School serving families from kindergarten through 6th grade in 2025–2026.

Lower School

Grammar: Wonder and Delight

Kindergarten through 4th grade

Young children are natural collectors. They love to chant, sing, memorize, and name everything they see, and our Lower School leans into that God-given delight. From kindergarten through 4th grade, students build strong foundations in phonics, reading, writing, and math while filling their minds with Scripture, poetry, history, and song.

This year, one 1st grader had our first Scripture passage committed to memory after just one week! Our 2nd graders discovered that spring is a living science lab, watching the seasons change and learning that every discovery points back to the Creator (Psalm 19). Poems practiced again and again, chants repeated until they stuck, and plenty of time outdoors gave our youngest Lions room to wonder well. Behind it all are teachers who know each child by name and teach with patience, joy, and high expectations.

As a University-Model® school, the learning doesn’t stop at the classroom door. On home days, parents carry the lessons forward at the kitchen table, and learning becomes something families share. None of it is flashy. It is small, daily faithfulness, and it is exactly how deep roots grow.

A student writing at his desk during class

Two young boys in school uniforms hugging and grinning under blooming trees

Two students smiling over lunch on a bench outside

We started at Harvest in the Fall of 2025 with our twin kindergarten boys (one in each class). Even before school began, we knew Harvest was a special place. You can feel the spirit of God in the hallways and in interactions with administrators, faculty, staff, and students. Our boys have thrived here and are celebrated and supported as individuals with unique gifts and talents. Harvest delivers excellent curriculum but has an important focus on nurturing the character of each child for the kingdom of God. We are thrilled to support the mission, vision, and values of this special school.
Jon and Kathryn Kreider, Kindergarten parents

Upper School

Logic: Reason and Responsibility

5th and 6th grade

Somewhere around 5th grade, the questions change. Students who once loved collecting facts start asking why, and the logic stage meets them right there. This year our Upper School asked more of its students: to reason carefully, write clearly, and defend what they believe with grace.

Latin sharpened their grammar and vocabulary, and formal logic taught them to spot a weak argument and build a sound one. But the deepest growth often happened outside of class. A group of students started their own Bible study during recess, opening the Word together simply because they wanted to.

Through Lions Serve, students learned that serving others is part of following Jesus. In the fall, the Lions held bake sales, emptied their piggy banks, and sold their own artwork to raise $4,000 to Fuel Ruby Marie, Triad Pregnancy Care’s mobile unit. Clubs like chess, running, and fly fishing gave them room to explore new interests and build friendships across grades.

These students are ready for more, and so are we. In 2026–2027, Harvest adds 7th grade, and the logic stage grows right along with them.

A teacher with two students dressed as historical figures

Four upper school boys in uniform in front of a Harvest Academy backdrop

Beyond the classroom, Harvest has created something truly special: a community. Friends have become family, students have become scholars, and parents have become partners in a shared mission. As one of the founding members of the ‘Fathers of Harvest’ group, I have been especially grateful for the school’s commitment to engaging fathers in the growth of our children, our school, and our community. Harvest Academy is more than a school—it is a place where faith, family, and education come together in a meaningful way. Our family is deeply thankful to be part of its story, and we look forward to watching God continue to use Harvest to impact future generations.
Ken Wilson, Harvest parent

Teaching & Learning

Faithful in the Small Things

Iowa Assessments · Spring 2026

87%

of students scored above the national average

At Harvest, teaching is an apprenticeship. Our teachers do more than deliver content; they model the love of learning, the habits of attention, and the virtues we hope our students carry for life. This year we kept our classrooms unhurried and rich in living books, pairing clear, direct instruction with the questions and discussion that train students to think well. Classroom observations and coaching conversations throughout the year helped each teacher grow in that craft.

Our spring Iowa Assessments confirm what we see every day: 87% of students tested scored above the national average. We treat those results as a check on our work rather than its goal, and they help us see where to strengthen next. This year we are aligning our scope and sequence across every grade, from kindergarten through our new 7th grade, and completing our self-study for SCL accreditation.

Teachers, plus 6 teaching assistants

8:1

Student-to-teacher ratio

300+

Hours of professional development

A teacher leaning in to help students working at their desks

I am so blessed to teach little children at Harvest! Two of my favorite things in all the world are teaching children the Scriptures and teaching them to read! At Harvest, I have the opportunity to do both every school day. It’s a gift and joy beyond words. Harvest Academy exalts the Lord Jesus Christ and seeks to lead children to do the same.
Kim Shelley, Kindergarten Teacher

Student Life

Heart, Soul, Mind & Strength

Harvest students grow in more than the classroom. Scripture, the arts, and service give them room to practice the virtues they study.

Fine Arts

At Harvest, every student sings. In December, all of our K–6 students took the stage for our Christmas musical, A Fireside Nativity, and each class sang and recited at our spring performance. Our Cantare and Bella Voce choirs rehearsed after school all year, and in March, Bella Voce traveled to the ACSI Fine Arts Festival at North Raleigh Christian School and came home with a Superior award. As St. Augustine said, “He who sings, prays twice.”

Scripture & Service

This year our students memorized passages from Romans 8, from “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (8:1) to “in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (8:28), and a few of our students hid all of Romans 8 in their hearts. At Grandparents Day, two 6th graders recited the entire chapter, memorized in just eight weeks. Faith turned outward, too. In January, our 5th and 6th graders served a meal alongside Grace Community Church to about 250 neighbors experiencing homelessness, with families across the school providing the food.

Bella Voce singers with their director, holding the Superior plaque and certificate from the ACSI Fine Arts Festival at North Raleigh Christian School

A smiling student with his grandparents on Grandparents Day

A smiling student holding a glue stick beside her colorful art project

A young student in a Harvest Academy sweatshirt looking through binoculars outdoors

A laughing student holding up her colorful mosaic-style painting in art class

I love Harvest because I get to spend more time with my parents on my home days, and because Harvest is just so much fun!
Anna Grace, 6th grade

Steven Valencsin, Chair of the Board of Directors

From the Board Chair

Rooted and Ready to Build

Dear Harvest Academy Families and Friends,

Every gift of time, money, and prayer given to Harvest Academy is trust you place in us, and your board takes that word seriously. Our mission is to train and equip students to glorify God with their heart, soul, mind, and strength. Our job as a board is to govern this school in a way that protects that mission for the families here today and for those who have not yet walked through our doors.

Much of this year’s work happened quietly. We adopted a Policy Governance framework that clearly separates the board’s role from the daily leadership of our Head of School, defines what we expect the school to accomplish, and sets the boundaries within which it operates. We formalized the responsibilities of our officers and committees so that finances are reviewed with care, new trustees are prepared before they serve, and our Head of School is both held accountable and genuinely supported. None of this makes headlines, but it is the foundation that allows a young school to grow without losing its way.

We also set a long-range direction for our campus: preparing the ground for an athletic field, adding a second entrance and parking, and building a home for our high school. That vision is now before our community through our capital campaign, and we invite you to pray with us about the part God may have for you in it.

None of this happens alone. Thank you to our teachers and staff, who pour themselves into our students every day. Thank you to our parents, who entrust us with their children and partner with us in their formation. And thank you to every donor and volunteer whose generosity carries this mission forward.

The road ahead is ambitious. We walk it with open hands, confident that He who began a good work in Harvest Academy will carry it on to completion.

With gratitude,

Steven Valencsin

Chair, Board of Directors

Pencil illustration of the North Church Street campus with the Northern Baptist Church and Harvest Academy sign

Preparing a New Home

Planting Deeply on North Church Street

For our first three years, Gospel Baptist Church graciously opened its doors to Harvest. We remain deeply grateful for their hospitality in our earliest days.

In 2025–2026 the Lord provided a permanent place to put down roots: the Northern Baptist Church campus at 5515 N Church St. While classes continued at Gospel Baptist Church, the work of preparing our future home began. Capital gifts and a transfer of operating surplus funded two modular classroom buildings, building renovations, a new playground, and secure fencing.

It was a year of planting below the surface — the kind of work that is not always seen, but on which everything that grows later depends.

Invested in our campus, 2025–2026

$560,400

Modular classrooms — purchase & relocation$300,86554%
Playground & fencing$121,98322%
Design, engineering & permitting$71,36213%
Building renovations$56,33110%
Landscaping & other$9,8592%

Capital fund spending, July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026. Source: HA Capital Projects 2026.

How the work was funded

One-time gifts$263,88247%
Transfer of operating surplus$150,27527%
Fundraising events$46,9418%
Monthly gifts$40,9937%
Investment income$29,6925%
Gifts given in 2024–25$28,6175%

Capital fund income for fiscal year 2025–26, plus gifts given in 2024–25 and held for the new campus.

The new playground with shade sails, slides, and swings under tall trees

A modular classroom building being set up on block footings, with equipment and crews on site

Financial Stewardship

Financial Report

Harvest is committed to careful, transparent stewardship of every dollar entrusted to us.

Line	Year ended June 30, 2026	Year ended June 30, 2025
Revenue & Support
Tuition & fees	$1,025,200	$473,045
Donations	$456,419	$868,847
Fundraising events	$72,779	$66,648
Student services & activities	$34,876	$14,475
Investment income	$22,922	$2,559
Total revenue & support	$1,612,196	$1,425,574
Expenses
Program services	$832,401	$370,493
Management & general	$100,380	$125,322
Fundraising	$67,653	$39,071
Total expenses	$1,000,434	$534,886
Change in net assets	$611,762	$890,688

Where our revenue came from

Tuition & fees$1,025,20064%
Donations$456,41928%
Fundraising events$72,7795%
Student services & activities$34,8762%
Investment income$22,9221%

How it was put to work

Program services$832,40183%
Management & general$100,38010%
Fundraising$67,6537%

Independent Review

Harvest’s financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2026 were reviewed by an independent certified public accounting firm.

Jarrard, Nowell & Russell, LLC

Figures are from Harvest’s Statements of Activities for the years ended June 30, 2026 and 2025. The 2025 figures were not reviewed and are shown for comparison.

Donations include donor-restricted gifts for the new campus: $314,275 in 2025–26 and $785,928 in 2024–25. Investment income includes dividends and gains on investments.

At June 30, 2026, Harvest held total assets of $1,752,711, total liabilities of $275,534, and net assets of $1,477,177.

Gathering Together

Events & Celebrations

November 2025

The Gathering

Our new fall fundraising event welcomed friends of Harvest to Rolling Meadow Farm to hear the school’s story and invest in its future.

raised: $29,001

Spring 2026

Spring Gala

Under the theme Deep Roots, Strong Faith, families and friends celebrated the year and honored Mrs. Shelley, Mrs. Parker, and Mrs. Williard — the three founding teachers who built Harvest’s academic foundations as volunteers in 2023.

raised: $35,731

September 2025

Fall Festival

Our second annual Family Fall Festival filled an evening with game booths, Stamey’s barbecue, raffles, and plenty of western wear. Rudd Farm brought the pumpkin patch to us and gave half of its sales to Harvest.

March 2026

HA Haw Hustle

The HA Haw Hustle brought students, families, and friends to the starting line for a morning of healthy, competitive fun. Runners and walkers of every age crossed the finish line together, and our top finishers took home golden lion trophies. Thank you to Gate City Health, our title sponsor.

Annual Giving

Giving by the Numbers

Every gift helped plant something lasting this year. Thank you.

$469,900

Total gifts, July 2025 – June 2026

Donors — families, friends, businesses, churches & foundations

Households giving every month

37%

Of Harvest families participated in giving

27%

Of donors gave $500 or less — every gift counts

Matching-gift and foundation partners

Donors by gift level

Gift level	2025–26	2024–25
$50,000 and above	1	3
$20,000 – $49,999	2	3
$10,000 – $19,999	8	6
$5,000 – $9,999	11	8
$2,500 – $4,999	8	4
$1,000 – $2,499	7	7
$500 – $999	4	10
Up to $499	14	11

Number of donors at each level. 2024–2025 counts from the 2025 Annual Report Information.

With Gratitude

Partners in the Work

We gratefully acknowledge every family, friend, business, church, and foundation who gave to Harvest Academy between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026.

To each family and friend who gave this year: thank you. Your faithfulness is woven into every classroom, every lesson, and every child at Harvest.

Six smiling upper school girls in Harvest uniforms standing arm in arm outdoors

Because of You

Thank you for helping us grow deep roots, strong faith, and lifelong friendships at Harvest!

Looking Ahead

The Next Season of Growth

Our oldest students are approaching 9th grade, and our campus must be ready for them. In July 2026 our Board of Directors affirmed Harvest’s long-range direction: to serve students from their first day through graduation, Pre-K through 12th grade.

That vision now has a name. Built Together. Built on Christ. is a $2.4 million campaign over 24 months to build a home for Harvest’s high school at 5515 N Church St. — a place for classical study, mentorship, internships, and meaningful work. We began the campaign with a soft launch on November 12, 2026, and our goal is to have the high school ready by April 2029.

Most of the people who give to this campaign will never sit in one of its classrooms. They are building for generations not yet born, so that the next generation would know the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord (Psalm 78:4). Come build with us.

The plan, in three phases

Clear and grade the land
Prepare the wooded land behind our campus for a temporary high school building and a new athletic field.
Purchase the adjoining property
Acquire the neighboring 1.77 acres for a second entrance and parking.
Build the high school campus
Install the high school classroom building, build parking lots, and finish the athletic field.

Come Build With Us

Help build a home for Harvest’s high school.

Save the date: Spring Gala · April 29, 2027

See the plan Give online

Our Vision

To graduate wise disciples of Jesus Christ, firmly rooted in biblical truth.

Our Mission

To train and equip students to glorify God with their heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Board of Directors · 2025–2026

As the board served during the 2025–2026 school year

Steven ValencsinChair
Tommy OzboltVice Chair
Constance Harris
Mary Kate White
Rick Spieker
Dr. Harlie Miller
Alex SwemFormer member
Roger WilsonFormer member

Leadership Team · 2025–2026

As the team served during the 2025–2026 school year

James CarterHead of School
Jennifer SiskSchool Business Manager
Jenny SwemDirector of Teaching & Learning
Natalie SpiekerDirector of Admissions
Melissa WilsonFormer Director of School Programs and Planning

Deep Roots, Strong Faith

Roots Before Fruit

The Year in Review

Fine Arts

Scripture & Service

Rooted and Ready to Build

How the work was funded

Where our revenue came from

How it was put to work

The Gathering

Spring Gala

Fall Festival

HA Haw Hustle

Donors by gift level

Business & Foundation Partners

Because of You

The plan, in three phases

Clear and grade the land

Purchase the adjoining property

Build the high school campus

Board of Directors · 2025–2026

Leadership Team · 2025–2026