Black-owned private school opening in Fayetteville

Fayetteville will soon be the home of a new Black-owned private school. The school's founder says his team's goal is to develop a group of young people that will take the city to new heights.

The founder of the Genesis Christian School Tre'vone McNeill said it came from humble beginnings. Three years ago, it was a summer camp with 15 kids, then later a daycare center. When parents started asking them to expand into a school, McNeill said his team was all in.

"I have a group of people who see like I see and I think that's what makes the difference for a visionary."

The daycare center first opened on Cliffdale Road just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. McNeill says it's been a challenge, but meeting the need for reliable childcare kept him motivated.

"I've noticed there are a lot of minority families in this area who are working night and day. Some mothers are working double shifts, triple shifts trying to make ends meet, McNeill said. "And they find that with, they have someone that they can trust to care for their children while they're working. And so we want to continue to be that."

"A lot of daycares don't go the extra mile like they do," said Christine Evans, a parent at Genesis Christian. Christine and Demetrius Evans have had their child, Charlie, enrolled in Genesis Christian since its first day as a summer camp. As military parents who are out-of-state, Christine said trust has been pivotal to their relationship with the Genesis Christian team.

"They immediately reach out to us and they let us know what's going on so it doesn't feel like we're missing so much of her life with her being in daycare every day," Christine Evans said.

This school year, Genesis Christian will lead classes from Kindergarten to second grade with up to 15 children. Administrators are preparing for the grand opening on Saturday. McNeill wants Fayetteville's underserved families to know they can find an affordable private education right in their community.

"I just want to tell every family out there to find the heart of what you want for your child when it comes to their education, and see that we have it here at Genesis Christian School," McNeill said.

The first day of school at Genesis Christian is Sept. 1.