Pastor Chris and Bernadette Pello, founders of Bay Life Academy (BLA), were called to do God’s work and fulfill an extraordinary need in the Tampa Bay area. This special couple stepped out in faith to follow that call over eight years ago. They have seen the Lord show up in mighty ways to expand the vision He laid in Chris’ heart. The Pellos sought to educate students with learning disabilities and special needs, but God has done so much more than that. The BLA staff, students, and families continue to be blessed beyond what the education provides. The Holy Spirit freely roams the halls and touches the lives of many through the work done at BLA.
A VISION
The Pellos moved from New York to Florida 16 years ago with Bernadette’s job as a business executive. Chris was a high school basketball coach and athletic director in New York. After the move, he was blessed with a position at Tampa Bay Christian School in Brandon as the basketball and PE coach. Both Bernadette’s boss at the time and the gentleman who hired Chris prayed for their salvation. The Pellos were raised Catholic and had a good understanding of who Jesus was, but admitted to not having a personal relationship with Christ. However, they grew to understand the importance of faith as a personal journey and each of them accepted Christ as their Savior. Shortly after, Chris was promoted to principal of the school. “God just fast-tracked me. He was preparing us,” Chris said.
Chris served as the principal and as an associate pastor for five years. “We were the only school at the time that had any type of program for kids with special needs. We could only take six kids a year,” Chris explained. This meant that the school had to turn away around 30-40 families every year. The school did not have the capacity to accommodate that many children with special needs. It burdened Chris to see these families leave with nowhere to take their children. Then God put a vision in his heart. “We just really felt like the Lord called us to start a school for special needs kids,” Chris said. He kept a list of every family that the school had to turn away, and he reached out to them.
BAY LIFE ACADEMY
In 2003 the Pellos rented a space from a church on Bloomingdale Avenue and opened Brandon Prep with just 35 students. Bernadette handled all of the business administration duties for the school, while Chris concentrated on the specifics of education. The following year Chris was asked to join the staff of Bay Life Church as the pastor of adult ministries. God’s hand was apparent in the plans for this school when the Pellos learned that Chris’ offer included bringing the school with them. Bay Life Church had plenty of classroom space available, so in August 2004 Brandon Prep moved to the church’s campus and the school’s name changed to Bay Life Academy. Bernadette took over running the school as its director.
The school grew over the next three years. “We maximized our capacity [at the church’s campus] and were turning families away,” Chris said. God opened yet another door when a building in Seffner became available. It was formerly a church, and the owners wanted the building to be used for ministry purposes. Bernadette did a video presentation for them about the school. The church board overwhelmingly approved the sale, and Bay Life Church was set to purchase the building. The Bay Life congregation raised the money to buy and renovate the building for the academy’s use.
In August 2007, BLA moved from the Bay Life Church campus to the newly renovated, 8000ft2 building in Seffner, where they are still located. In just four short years, this campus is at maximum capacity with over 100 students. Chris explained that with God’s help they are fulfilling a tremendous need in the community and want to continue where God leads them. “About 13-14% of all Hillsborough County school students have some type of learning disability,” Chris estimated. Most private and public schools cannot accommodate all of the children with special needs and learning disabilities in the Bay area. Consequently, there are many students with special needs that may not be reached at the needed level. The Pellos wish to provide a higher level of attention to as many of these children as possible. They strongly feel that all of God’s children should be able to find help and acceptance somewhere.
God led them to leap out in faith once again and they will be opening a second campus in Riverview called Livingstone Academy (beginning in August 2011). The academy will be renting classroom space from South Bay Church to accommodate up to 60 children. “Our prayer is that by August 2013, we will build our own facility in Riverview, thereby enabling us to continue to reach the ever-increasing educational needs of that community” (www.baylifeacademy.org). The couple is open to further expansion in the Tampa Bay area if and when God calls.
MEETING A NEED
“Bay Life Academy is an independent, non-profit, private Christian School that specializes in ministering to the unique needs of children with learning disabilities and their families” (www.baylifeacademy.org). The school serves children in kindergarten through eighth grade with varying degrees of need. “It’s a huge range,” Bernadette explained, which includes students with “specific learning disabilities, Autism, Asperger’s, speech and language disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), emotional/social disorders, and cognitive and/or developmental delays.” Bernadette said, “We take kids where they are and we try to come up with an individual plan that will help them be the best they can be.” The goal of BLA is to provide an environment where the children feel loved, accepted, and encouraged. “They’re in a safe place where they can thrive,” Chris said.
The philosophy of BLA is to challenge the students in the areas that they are strongest and guide them in the areas they need the most help. The students are tested upon arrival to the school and their Individual Education Plan (IEP) is reviewed to determine their personal plan. A large part of that is placing the students in classes that they best fit into academically, not necessarily by age or grade level. “All of our kids need something different,” Bernadette explained. The students spend a majority of their time focusing on the core subjects of reading, writing, and math, which are all taught in small groups. Other classes, such as science, history, art, and music, are taught classroom style with a range of students from different grade and academic levels. The teacher assigns different projects based on the child’s ability.
In addition to academics, the children attend chapel every week and some of the students do a Bible devotion each day. The chapel services are held by one of the pastors of Bay Life Church. Bernadette shared that each month one of the administrators gives the students a character trait with a supporting Scripture. Activities and lessons are based around the character trait and the staff and students encourage one another when they see someone displaying that month’s trait. It’s an interactive way to incorporate godly character into the students’ everyday routine.
In addition to the deliberate incorporation of Christ into school life, the staff demonstrates a godly love when working with the students and their families. “The families really see the willingness of the staff to go above and beyond, whether it is [helping with] meals for families or uniforms, or [paying the way for students if they] can’t go on the field trip,” Bernadette said. “I have never had somebody from here not offer to step up and fulfill a need.” The staff understand the difficulties that can come with raising a child with special needs, and they have even offered to take students for a weekend so that the parents can take a break. Chris commented, “The love of Christ flows from the teachers and staff. We know our teachers are praying for our kids. They’re kind, gentle, and patient, so the fruits of the Spirit are evident” (see Galatians 5:22).
GETTING TO THE RIGHT PLACE
How does a child get into Bay Life Academy? The process begins in the public school system. If a child does not already have an IEP, a parent can simply speak with their school’s administrator about getting their child tested. “A lot of parents know right away if their child is really struggling,” Chris said. Once the school gives the student an IEP, the child is eligible for the John M. McKay Scholarship, which a lot of parents are unaware of. Bernadette explained that some public schools do have programs for students with special needs; however, the school your child is zoned for may not be able to provide for their specific needs. There is a law in effect that gives parents with a special needs child the ability to choose the public school their child will attend and transportation will be provided, or the parents may use the funds the state has allocated for their child’s education and send them to a qualifying private school of their choice. To learn more about the McKay Scholarships and how to apply, visit www.flsenate.gov/laws/statutes/2010/1002.39 and www.floridaschoolchoice.org.
The Pellos explained that the McKay Scholarships are based on each child’s individual need (which is learned from their IEP). If a child has greater needs, the scholarship will be larger. For these parents, the excess funds beyond tuition costs can be used towards various extras, such as one-on-one aids, extra tutoring, or speech therapy. “Every penny that comes in for the scholarship program is allocated to that child’s individual needs. Sometimes the scholarship doesn’t quite meet the need, so we honor that … and provide those services,” Bernadette explained. Most scholarships cover the cost of tuition at BLA with the minor exception of the first level of need. Parents may have to supplement the scholarship in order to pay the tuition. However, if a family isn’t able to pay the difference and the academy feels that they can help the student, they will try to provide the family with alternatives. These parents could potentially help the school by volunteering and lending a hand in fundraising efforts. “The bottom line is that God provides all of our needs,” Chris said. “If we can help, we will try,” Bernadette added.
BLA’s SUCCESS
The Pellos’ prayer is that the children who come through the academy not only succeed in the area of academics to the best of their ability, but also excel spiritually, socially, and behaviorally. Bernadette shared the story of a young boy that had been bullied in his previous school because of his differences. His anxiety was so severe that he got sick every day on the way to school. She would go out to meet him every morning and coax him inside the school, then inside the office, and eventually into the classroom. “Now he is just thriving,” Bernadette said. Chris spoke of a special young lady with Down syndrome that touched his heart. She started at the school when it opened. She was very shy and couldn’t even put a pencil in her hand. Her mother’s prayer was that she would learn to write her name. Last year, she participated in the school’s annual talent show by singing a solo. It was amazing to see how far she had come. “I was one of the judges and I was sitting there with tears running down my face,” Chris shared. With time, the children learn that the academy is a safe place where they are loved and accepted. This helps to build the students’ self-esteem, and they blossom in an environment where they can be themselves.
Chris and Bernadette feel blessed to have seen the success of their students on all levels. They also have joy knowing that a number of students have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior while attending BLA. “Kids that came in two or three years academically behind, to see them get caught up, be baptized, join a local church, go on to high school, and graduate high school – it’s just an unbelievable feeling,” Chris said. One of the greatest rewards the Pellos experience in running the academy is to visit with students who have moved into high school. To witness these young people excelling and pushing past their disabilities even outside BLA makes all of their efforts worthwhile. BLA’s caring nature doesn’t end at eighth grade graduation. “This year we have really taken a more direct approach to help families get to the right [high] school. We’ve gone on tours with families to potential schools,” Bernadette explained. “We research the different private schools in the area,” Chris added. They want the parents to know their options, including what schools have the right programs for their children. Chris said, “We want to make sure they get help transitioning the best way [possible].”
REFRESHED IN CHRIST
Ministry leaders understand the hardships of running a non-profit. The Pellos continually stay focused on God and look to Him to provide their every need and the needs of their students. How do they stay refreshed in the mission that God gave them? Chris answered, “He is the center of our lives. Without Christ we are nothing.” He spoke of Bernadette’s favorite Scriptures in John 15 and said, “The key is to remain in Him.” John 15:5 (NKJV) says, “…He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” The Pellos also focus on spending time in prayer, meeting with their life group, and being in the Word. “Fortunately I am a pastor at Bay Life Church, so if I get caught reading the Bible at work, we’re okay,” Chris said with a smile.
Other Scriptures they take comfort in are found in Judges 6, which is the story of Gideon. An angel of the Lord was sent to tell Gideon that he was chosen to deliver God’s people out of the hands of the Midianites. Gideon did not believe he was worthy of such a task, but the angel of the Lord assured him that God was with him and would help him defeat the Midianites. “That has brought such peace to me in the last 12 years of full-time ministry. God said, ‘I sent you; go in [with] what you have and I will do the rest,’” Chris said. The Pellos have been inspired knowing that the Lord has equipped them to run the academy and to love and encourage people on a daily basis. Glory!
