On this episode of Raise Them Up! host Fred Zielonko talks to Katy McKinney, founder and headmaster of the Academy de Lafayette, whose student body was ranked by the classic learning tests as having one of the highest test scores in the nation for the 2023-24 academic year.

How Katy came to name the school she founded and is the headmaster back in 2017.
Katy started out as a teacher in California, sold investments, and then decided she did not want to be a public education teacher
Moved to St. Louis and learned about homeschooling and started teaching her own children.

Her “ah-ha” moment that convinced her start her own classical education school.
How she reached out to God to find a way to start her own school-God directed her to the Internet and Hillsdale College.
It took her three years to raise the money and open the school. She explained the process. Her husband and her funded the school initially, and paid
herself finally after the third year.
How she partnered with Hillsdale College to develop her school and curriculum…Hillsdale’s curriculum is in many, many schools now.

Then we discussed what is classical education?
Katy explains how our founders had a classical education and she explains it’s constitutionally-based, and all what it includes including Latin.

We discussed how much homework they have and how they started as a K-thru 7th grade, and now it’s through it is K-thru-12.
Her one regret about founding her own school. School has grown from 9-children to 102 from 2017 to 2024.

How COVID impacted the growth in her school.

Katy discusses her vision for her academy and that includes an online edition.

Then, we discussed her teaching of civics in her academy and reading via phonics.

Why her Academy also includes a music education.

Katy discusses how they are funded and if they are profitable.
She goes on to discuss the value of their education and what parents actually pay.

Lafayette also teaches capitalism, financial literacy, and how they integrate field trips into the curriculum.

Then we discussed parental involvement in classical education-Lafayette welcomes all parental involvement.

We discussed when is the best time to apply for enrollment?

Katy lays out and explains the whole curriculum, faculty, mission and discipline.

Finally, we discussed the decline of liberal arts education and how she thinks classical academies will cause a resurgence of liberal arts colleges.

Concluded with her contact information and how to apply, grants, financial aid & scholarships.

Hillsdale.edu is where you can find information about classical education schools throughout the United States.

Katy’s website is: www. lafayetteacademy.org – where you can find her bio and background information.
Bio of Katy & Letter of recognition as a top 20 classical academy is attached.