New Heart Covenant Christian Center preacher Barry Cline, on left and Speiro Academy School of Ministry and Fine Arts founder and principal Susan Cline are looking towards the future of the school. (T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA)

BELLAIRE — Speiro Academy School of Ministry and Fine Arts is purchasing the St. John Central Academy building.

Speiro founder and principal Susan Cline said the deal to purchase the building should be finalized within the next week. St. John Central Academy closed its doors in June after being revived in 2019.

Cline said the move will give the school more space for athletics, fine arts programs and other activities as it continues to grow.

“Twenty-five years without a gymnasium,” she said. “We did buy the North School in Martins Ferry (500 N. Fifth St.), and we turned the gym into the sanctuary, where we still do activities. Barry is the pastor of the church there where we have church and school.

“We have a competition team with twirling, flags, volleyball and things like that, and we’ve had to rent gyms around the area for years. It’s been inconvenient and expensive, so we needed a bigger location for our sports and activities. And of course, we’re just drawn to the Bellaire area and excited to be in Bellaire.”

Speiro purchased the high school building but not the elementary and middle school buildings.

“We’re eager to celebrate being a school for 25 years and having the new location,” Susan Cline said. “It’s still a new process, so we’re not exactly sure how everything will play out, but I do believe we will be opening here in September.”

Unlike most schools in the community, Speiro teaches the Abeka curriculum as well as fine arts.

“The Abeka curriculum integrates Christ into everything that is taught and helps prepare students for college,” Susan said.

“During the school week, they do dance, drama, music, band and other fine arts,” she added. “Because we are a fine arts school, our high schoolers come in by application. We do missions outreach and our team travels three or four times a year.

“So even though the numbers may not seem as large as other schools, we have outgrown the building that we are in. We have an MMA class that shares space with the dance room, and then we have gymnastics as well. We’ve really outgrown that building for all the activities that we do. Here it is going to supply many more rooms.”

New Heart Covenant Christian Center pastor Barry Cline said he and Susan are still deciding whether church services will continue at the Martins Ferry school once the Bellaire building opens.

“We’re still waiting to see what God has for us, but we’re willing to do whatever it is,” Barry said. “We’re still in the planning phases of it. Whether the Martins Ferry location continues or not, the new building in Bellaire will have services once it opens.”

He added that the slogan for the church is “Love God, love people,” and the slogan for the school is “We’re raising up leaders of leaders.”

“Children come to our school and we have worship leaders and ministers,” he said. “We had a 14-year-old boy minister at church this past Sunday, and there was salvation with that. We’re training leaders.”

Susan said many students go on to pursue ministry or music.

“We focus a lot on music and ministry — to the point that our high school and junior high praise band and ministry team have already been asked by three different conferences to be the main bands that come in,” she said. “We also have a recording studio where they learn how to produce music and albums. We just glorify God with everything they do. They’ve even won ‘Production Team of the Year’ at Disney.”

She added that anyone interested in applying to attend the school can email SpeiroAcademy@gmail.com.

Susan said a good example of what the school provides is its upcoming production of Disney’s “Tangled” on May 29.

“This year we’re doing ‘Tangled,’ and that’s always a good way to experience our school because every student has a part, and even some of their parents are in the play,” she said. “We also open our doors to homeschool students, who come in and participate in activities like gymnastics, drama and other fine arts.”

The play will take place at the Martins Ferry location at 500 N. Fifth St.