Our Story
About Us
Heritage Classical Academy exists to cultivate lifelong learners who think and live for Christ through proven curriculum, passionate teachers, and a Christ-centered environment. HCA partners with like-minded families by offering three distinct tracks. At the Academy, students attend classes on a traditional five days per week schedule. At the Study Center, we partner with homeschool families two days per week to support their efforts to educate classically. At the Preschool and Jr. Kindergarten, we strive to provide a Christ-centered environment that pursues excellence and prepares children for Kindergarten and beyond.
Our History
2003
Heritage Study Center is founded with 57 students.
2016
The student body doubles in size with 118 students (Hudson and Stow locations).
Heritage Classical Academy begins offering a full-time program, with 31 students enrolled.
2017
The Bainbridge campus opens (Pre-K through 2nd grade) with 41 students.
2018
Peninsula location opens (Pre-K through 8th grade) with an enrollment of 251 total students.
2021
Student enrollment reaches 565 students.
2022
Heritage Rhetoric School opens at Northfield, beginning with 9th grade. The high school will add a grade each year.
656 students total enrolled at all 3 campuses.
The Bainbridge campus is Pre-K through 7th grade, adding 8th grade in fall 2023.
2023
Heritage Rhetoric School in Northfield has 9th and 10th grades.
The Bainbridge campus offers Pre-K through 8th grade.
The Peninsula campus offers Preschool through 8th grade.
There are 700 students enrolled at the three campuses.
2024
Heritage opens the 65-acre, newly renovated Pepper Pike campus, offering our full-time Academy option to Jr. Kindergarten through 11th grade students.
The Peninsula campus serves Preschool through 5th grade students, with both Academy and homeschool hybrid Study Center options.
There are 814 students enrolled between the two campuses.
2025
The Pepper Pike campus serves Academy students in Jr. Kindergarten through 12th grade. Hertiage looks forward to celebrating the inaugural graduating class from this campus in the spring of 2026.
The Peninsula campus serves Preschool through 5th grade students, with both Academy and homeschool hybrid Study Center options.
There are 907 students enrolled between the two campuses.
Pepper Pike Campus
Early Childhood–12th Grade
This beautiful 65-acre campus offers a full-time Academy and a collegiate atmosphere for Upper School students.
Peninsula Campus
Early Childhood–5th Grade
Surrounded by Cuyahoga Valley National Park, this 13-acre campus offers families the choice between two educational tracks: full-time Academy or homeschool hybrid Study Center.
Heritage Classical Academy aims to develop a generation of future leaders who love to learn, think clearly, and communicate winsomely and articulately. To accomplish this vision, we have adopted the time-tested model of education called “classical Christian education.”
While this educational model existed for over 1500 years in various forms, it fell into decline in the late 1800s due to the rise of industrialization. Over the last 30 years many Christians have discovered the riches of having a rigorous academic course of study married with a robust plan for spiritual formation. The resulting educational renaissance has spawned over 230 like-minded schools across the United States. This movement continues to grow and Heritage Classical Academy desires to be a leader among like-minded schools in Northeast Ohio.
Why Classical?
Mission
Cultivating Lifelong Learners Who Think and Live for Christ
Vision
In partnership with parents, HCA develops students who impact the Kingdom and their culture by employing a Christ-centered curriculum taught with excellence by gifted educators who embrace the classical model of education. HCA emphasizes the all-surpassing truth, goodness, and beauty of Jesus, striving to make him known, loved, and reflected by our students. This is reinforced through purposeful, daily modeling and instruction by teachers and staff both in the classroom and by offering students opportunities to practice Christian values in the areas of service, art, music, and sports.
Veritas lux mea
Our school motto is Veritas lux mea – “The truth is my light.” As Christians, we joyfully affirm that truth, goodness, and beauty find their full and perfect expression in the Lord Jesus. To know Him is the goal of all our endeavors. Our search for truth, goodness, and beauty begins early. Even our youngest students study great literature, learning to appreciate language, ideas, and virtue.
FAQs
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HCA features two picturesque campuses in Northeast Ohio. The Peninsula Campus instructs students from Early Childhood through 5th grade, while the Pepper Pike Campus educates students from Early Childhood through 12th grade.
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Study Center
We partner with homeschool families, providing classroom instruction 2 days per week. The teachers send home a detailed assignment sheet of what the students are to do at home with their parents on the other three days of the week. The Study Center is available to students in Kindergarten through fifth grade at the Peninsula Campus only. Study Center students can participate in any club, sport, and an optional art class on Fridays, helping to meet the requirements for fine arts and physical education.
Academy
Many families desire a joy-filled, rigorous, and Christ-honoring education for their children. In the Academy, students attend classes on a traditional five days per week schedule. This traditional five-day program is available to students in Kindergarten through 12th grade and offers a classical, Christian education.
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Athletics play a powerful role in preparing children for life beyond sport. Competition cultivates sportsmanship, teamwork, resilience, and diligence. These virtues are the aim of the clubs and sports programs at Heritage. Heritage is happy to offer sports and clubs for the following activities: cross country, golf, basketball, fencing, soccer, archery, tennis, volleyball, Lego club, chess club, and running club. Heritage also has a fine arts program that seeks to help students love what is beautiful. Heritage offers art, choir, music theory and appreciation, theater, and strings.
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