About

Grace Leadership Academy is a school that provides a holistic education from a Christian worldview that is fundamental for the spiritual formation and intellectual development of children. The K5-8th curriculum empowers every teacher and parent with resources to nurture and invest in their children that they may grow into great leaders.

Mission & Vision

Mission

We Build Leaders.

Vision

Our vision is to educate students to become spirit-filled Christian leaders who excel in academics, embrace a biblical worldview, embody the founding principles of our nation, and engage in cultural reformation.

Pillars

• Academic Excellence
• Christian Leadership
• Biblical Worldview
  
• American Foundations

Values

Honor:
We always give God and others our very best because we know God always gives His.This is our spiritual act of worship as we do everything as unto the Lord.

Humility:
We seek to serve one another in love. Preferring one another over ourselves as we strive for a common unity.

Hunger:
We passionately pursue His presence, living lives of true devotion rather than religious routines.

Holiness:
We seek to become more and more Christ-like, living lives above reproach with integrity, honesty, and purity. To do this, we rely on the grace of God, which is His enabling power to be all Jesus is, all Jesus does, and all Jesus wants.

Health:
We believe God has given everything in Jesus to live healthy lives before Him and that it is His desire that we prosper in everything we do. Health is the result of living a life of honor, humility, hunger and holiness. Health leads to growth because healthy things grow.

Leaders & Staff

Daniel & Jenna Norris

Visionary Lead Pastors

After a radical encounter with the Lord in 1996 that launched Pastors Daniel & Jenna Norris into ministry, they have served as Youth Pastors, Associate Pastors, Church Planters, and Instructors at a Bible College. They have been happily married for 20 years and have been blessed with three amazing children: Reijah, Caden, and Chase.

Following the steps of his mentor, Evangelist Steve Hill, Daniel began traveling full time as an evangelist with the Assemblies of God in 2012. He and his family came to Grace World in 2018 after completing “The Trail of Fire” a year-long trek across the US that covered 50,000 miles, visiting 47 states, and working with 80 ministries. Daniel is the author of two books, Receptivity and Trail of Fire.

He and Jenna have been the lead pastors at Grace World Outreach church since 2018, with a passion to see people discover the abundant life Jesus promised.  Their vision is to build a diverse apostolic revival community of believers that brings reformation to the Nature Coast.  A vital part of that vision is Grace Leadership Academy, a school that will educate students to become spirit-filled Christian leaders who excel in academics, embrace a biblical worldview, embody the founding principles of our nation, and engage in cultural reformation.

Debbie Milton, D. Min.

Equipping Pastor and Head of School

Debbie married her high school sweetheart, Vance, who was instrumental in leading her into a divine encounter with Jesus in 1985. She then began an intense journey into the study of God’s Word, soon discovering her gift as a teacher. This gift began to find its place as her passion grew to make disciples both in the local church as well as in over 14 nations around the world. In 2003 Debbie received a very direct call to full-time ministry while on a short-term mission trip in Haiti.  Vance and Debbie have two daughters, Amber and April, and two grandchildren, who all love and serve the Lord.

Debbie has earned a Master of Divinity Degree as well as a Doctor of Ministry Degree and currently serves Grace World Outreach Church as the teaching and equipping pastor.  Her ministry oversight includes Professor and Advisor for the Nature Coast Cohort of SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary as well as Grace Leadership Academy K-8 School.

Samuel Lopez, B.A.

School Administrator

Sam met and married his wife Amber in 2003 while earning his Bachelor of Youth Ministry Degree from Southeastern University.  They served as youth pastors together for 22 years in Florida and Indiana, leading student ministries, youth camps, retreats, mission trips, and events that gave opportunity for students to experience spiritual transformation.  Sam and Amber have two children, Judah and Naomi, who are both committed followers of Christ. 

Sam is passionate about discipling young people to become world changing leaders and was instrumental in serving on the launch team for Grace Leadership Academy.  This led to his joining the pastoral team at Grace World Outreach Church in 2023 as the School Administrator.

Jessica Moorer, B.A.

Teacher Grades K5-1

Jessica and Mark married in November 2021 and are raising four incredible children together: Jace, Alec, Trey, and Riley.   In 2014, Jessica’s life was radically changed when she answered God’s call to fully surrender her life and began to discover her identity according to the incorruptible and unfailing word of God. Jessica is devoted to the calling of sharing the love and hope of Jesus and encouraging others through the knowledge of who they are according to their heavenly identity. 

Jessica has been serving the community as a music minister and a private music teacher for 25 years. Jessica has her bachelor’s degree from Saint Leo University in Clinical Counseling Psychology. In 2018, she was called to further her ministry and brought her love for teaching God’s word and music into the corporate classroom. She has since served as a teacher at 2 private Christian schools as well as in the Hernando County School District. 

Charity Faulkingham, B.A.

Teacher Grades 2-3

Charity Faulkingham has lived in Brooksville, Florida all of her life. She is married to her husband Cliff, a Brooksville native, for 11 years. God has blessed them with 4 children ranging from 21 to 1 1/2 years old. In 2010, Charity and Cliff gave their lives to God and began pursuing to live in His truth daily. Charity is a Registered Nurse and graduated with her bachelor’s in science in 2018 from Liberty University. She is currently on track to graduate with her master’s in nursing education in 2024 from Liberty University. Charity has homeschooled her children and incorporates Christian Apologetics in their upbringing. God is the Creator and Scientist and Charity has a love of observing His creation and sharing these facts with others.

David Guzman, B. A.

Teacher Grades 4-5

Upon graduating from high school David married his middle-school sweetheart Carmen, and they are still going strong today after 43 years of marriage. After trying college and several majors, he decided to join the military, from which he retired after 20 years in Army aviation as a First Sergeant (E-8). 

David returned to college and earned his bachelor’s degree in Middle Grades Education. This opened the door for him to teach soldiers basic skills in reading and math, as well as work in the public school system as an In-School suspension teacher.  After an early retirement and a move to Florida, David realized that God was not ready for him to put his teaching skills to rest.  He now uses these unique skills to influence the next generation of leaders at Grace Leadership Academy.  

Sandi Tafelski, M.A.

Teacher Grades 6-8

Sandi grew up in Brooksville, Florida and has been married to her husband Ed for 38 years. They have 8 children and 21 grandchildren. Sandi attended Asbury College and then earned her Master of Counseling Degree from Life Christian University. She is continuing her studies and will soon graduate from SUM Bible College and Seminary with a Master of Biblical Studies Degree.

In 1995, the Lord called Sandi to homeschool; her journey ended 24 years later upon graduating her youngest – twin sons. She also discovered her love for teaching others during that time and spent 24 years teaching in homeschool co-ops and various stand-alone classes for the homeschool community.

Sandi has been instrumental in the launching of Grace Leadership Academy, bringing her vast knowledge of Christian curriculum that will assure our pillars of academic excellence, biblical worldview, and American Foundations are kept as the foundation of building leaders.

FAQ

What is the cost per year per student?

Tuition & Fees information can be found here.

What if I do not qualify for one of the state scholarships?

If you do not qualify for a state scholarship, we would like to discuss a few options with you. Please contact our office for more information.

Is your school accredited?

We are accredited by the Florida League of Christian Schools (FLOCS)

What curriculum will you be using?

Our curriculum is ACS WASC* Accredited with a Biblical World View.
*ACS=Accrediting Commission for Schools
*WASC=Western Association of Schools and Colleges

What is the student to teacher Ratio?

Grades K-3 will be no more than 18 students per teacher.
Grades 4-5 will be no more than 22 students per teacher.
Grades 6-8 will be no more than 22 students per teacher.

Will you be following the District School Calendar?

The calendar will be similar to District Public Schools as well as local private schools.

Will there be combined grade classrooms?

Some classrooms may have combined grades depending on the academic level of the students and the giftings of the teacher.

Will there be other classes like Art, Music, PE, etc…?

Yes, we will provide some electives for the students.

Do you have financial aid available?

Yes, financial aid and scholarships are available to qualifying families. For more information, please click here.

What electives and extracurricular activities are offered?

We will always provide electives in Leadership and American Foundations. Other electives and activities will be included according to the needs and desires of the students and parents.

Will there be a uniform dress code?

Yes! The uniform dress code guidelines are all listed on our Student Life page. Click here for more info.

Members & Accreditation

League of Christian Schools

Grace Leadership Academy is a member in good standing with the League of Christian Schools. In accordance with the the Associations’ membership requirements and also carries the right to justifiably claim to be a Member of the Association with all rights and privileges.

Code of Ethics

As a representative of Grace Leadership Academy, personnel and administrators must demonstrate and uphold our core values of ethical conduct both in and outside of the classroom. As a Grace Leadership Academy employee and a role model to students, instructional personnel and school administrators have a duty, at all times. Please see below to download our Code of Ethics: