Mineral Wells Area News

Reporting By Gary Norman

Karen Horton, one of the founding leaders of Community Christian School, has returned to the helm following a season of personal loss and transition.

After stepping back from daily operations in recent years, Horton is once again serving as Administrator of the Mineral Wells-based private school—bringing with her decades of experience and a renewed sense of purpose.

Horton’s return to daily leadership comes after a period of personal reflection following the loss of her husband, Kirk, last year.

Her return follows the resignation last year of longtime Administrator Doug Jefferson, who faithfully led the school for many years and helped guide it through significant growth and accreditation milestones.

Now, Horton and her close friend and colleague Suzan Nicholson, the school’s Assistant Administrator, are leading the campus with a steady hand and a shared vision rooted in faith, community, and academic excellence.

The two women speak with ease, often finishing each other’s sentences, reflecting a bond built on decades of collaboration. Their shared commitment to Christian education is evident in both their words and the culture they’ve helped shape.

Community Christian School’s history stretches back to 1981 when Nicholson’s father, local pastor Ted Oliver, opened Mineral Wells Christian School in a building at the old Fort Wolters site.

“We started with thirteen kids, grades fourth through ninth, and me. I was a senior,” Nicholson recalled.

The following year, Horton and her husband Kirk—who had been considering starting a private Christian school of their own—joined forces with the fledgling school.

That partnership led to the formation of Community Christian School, with Horton appointed as President of the Board of Directors. The new K–12 school opened in September 1982 with 45 students.

“We started K through 12, which is an insane way to start a school,” Horton said with a laugh. “We didn’t know any better, and we didn’t have a building. Kindergarten was in one home, first and second in another, third and fourth in a third, fifth and sixth at my house, and seventh through tenth in another.”

The school office operated out of the newly hired administrator’s house.

“He would get on his motorcycle to visit each location,” Horton remembered. “It was hilarious. One time, he rode through town dressed like Elijah (the Old Testament prophet)!”

After Christmas that year, the school moved into a permanent building at its current location.

Seven years later, a new administrator led the school through the accreditation process with the Texas Private School Accreditation Commission. Accreditation was awarded in 1991 and has been maintained through five-year evaluations ever since.

As enrollment grew, the school expanded its facilities in 1994.

“It was very crowded in here,” Horton said. “And separating older kids from the younger ones really wasn’t a bad idea.”

Nicholson added, “That’s when kids first started getting off-campus lunch—because we didn’t have room. If you could drive, you went.”

Through it all, the school’s guiding philosophy has remained rooted in family and faith.

“We believe that God gave the responsibility of education to the home,” Horton said. “Not to the government. In Deuteronomy 6, God tells dads, ‘I want you to educate your kids.’”

“We work closely with homeschool families—many of their kids play on our sports teams. We’re here to provide expertise when parents need support.”

Horton continued, “We see ourselves as part of the educational landscape. We’re not in competition with public schools or homeschoolers—we’re just one option.”

Nicholson added, “Some of our students are here through eighth grade and then move on to public high school, and that’s great. Others might come half-days for subjects like chemistry. One parent told us, ‘We’re good with everything but we’re not ready for chemistry!’”

When asked what makes Community Christian School different from public schools, Horton was quick to answer.

“The close relationships with families.”

Nicholson agreed and added, “That—and biblical integration into all core subjects. We believe everything we do should be rooted in truth, and God’s wisdom applies to science, history—even math.”

Some of those biblical foundations naturally contrast with secular worldviews, but rather than avoid hard conversations, the school embraces them.

“We don’t dodge the topics students are going to encounter in college or the workplace,” Nicholson said. “We say, ‘You might hear this—but what about this?’ We want them to develop critical thinking skills, to figure out what they believe and why.”

That philosophy also applies to the school’s approach to theological diversity.

With students from a wide range of denominations—and even some who are still exploring faith—the emphasis is on respect and understanding.

“In any given classroom, we might have Baptists, Pentecostals, Catholics,” Horton said. “So we encourage students to think. We didn’t name the school after a single denomination for a reason. Our core value is respect.”

Horton added, “I don’t expect students to think exactly like I do—but I want them to think. Don’t just swallow everything from Republicans, Democrats, or TikTok. Ask questions. Challenge ideas.”

Nicholson agreed. “We really want them to leave here knowing how to evaluate ideas and form their own beliefs.”

When asked what they look for in a student, Horton responded, “We want kids who want to be here—but the first thing I look at is the parents. Are they engaged? Do they understand who we are, and can we work as a team?”

She added, “I don’t think I’ve ever met a kid I didn’t like. Even the little stinkers—they’re adorable.”

Horton also praised the school’s diversity.

“We’ve had students from all backgrounds. We value those cultures and the different missions they bring. You never know what a student will bring when they walk in the door.”

Ultimately, the goal is to help students discover their God-given purpose.

“We want them to have a real, personal relationship with Jesus Christ,” Horton said. “It’s not about rules—it’s about knowing God and applying that in whatever path they take.”

Nicholson added, “We want each student to ask: ‘Who am I? What has God created me for? What am I supposed to do?’ And we help them get there.”

That emphasis on holistic growth extends into athletics and the arts.

The school has earned state championships in football, basketball, and ten consecutive state titles in one-act play.

“We don’t really believe in calling them extracurriculars,” Horton said. “You learn lessons on the field or stage that you can’t learn in a classroom. Like how your absence affects the whole team. That matters.”

On the issue of school vouchers, Horton said the school is cautiously supportive.

“This is really between the state and the parents,” she said. “But just because someone shows up with a voucher doesn’t mean we’re automatically the right fit. What God has done here is special, and we don’t want to lose that.”

She added, “I don’t believe Austin knows what’s best for Mineral Wells. And I’m definitely not looking to Washington, D.C.”

Nicholson agreed. “We’re not opposed to vouchers. We just want to see how they fit without disrupting what we’ve worked for.”

Looking ahead, the school has big plans.

It recently acquired buildings and property at the Fort Wolters site from Weatherford College, which had used the space for training and education.

The school hopes to renovate and relocate within the next five years.

Community Christian School is located at 2501 Garrett Morris Parkway in Mineral Wells.

For more information, visit www.ccsmw.org or call 940-328-1333.

Classes begin August 19, 2025.

---