Spotlight On: Nick Reeves, Head of School, New Braunfels Christian Academy
April 2025 — In an interview with Invest:, Nick Reeves, head of school at New Braunfels Christian Academy, emphasized the school’s commitment to growth, community, and faith-based education. “What makes New Braunfels Christian Academy truly special is that we describe ourselves as a ‘family of families.’ When someone becomes a Wildcat and joins NBCA, they gain an extended family.”
Could you share some of the biggest highlights or milestones for the Academy in the past year?
The most significant milestone for us this year was the opening of our new athletic facility. We completed an $11 million project that includes an eight-lane track, a football field, and a fieldhouse. This new complex has already been widely used by our student-athletes and our PTO for various school events. We’ve also hosted several local soccer tournaments and will be hosting a regional track meet in a few weeks. We get weekly calls from people wanting to rent the facility for their own events. It’s been an incredible opportunity to foster both student-athletic growth and broader community engagement. We’re so grateful to have this space, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of our school families.
What’s driving the appeal of this region?
What’s unique about our location is that while many of our families live here in New Braunfels, quite a few commute to either Austin or San Antonio for work. They’ve chosen to live here because of the strong family-oriented feel, while still being close to the economic and cultural opportunities of the larger cities. Our families appreciate the excellent education and community we offer without having to sacrifice proximity to their workplaces. This allows them to be home in time for their children’s concerts, plays, or sports games and still be actively involved. The explosive growth in the corridor between Austin and San Antonio continues to benefit us, but more importantly, our families genuinely love the area, the school, and the ability to stay connected to both a thriving community and a booming regional economy.
What makes the school truly unique?
What makes New Braunfels Christian Academy truly special is that we describe ourselves as a “family of families.” When someone becomes a Wildcat and joins NBCA, they gain an extended family. There’s a powerful sense of connection and belonging to something excellent and purposeful. Our students are deeply known and loved — teachers know them by name, understand their strengths and challenges, and are fully invested in their growth. Each year, for example, our seniors travel to Costa Rica for mission trips, serving both locally and globally. Families see the impact of this — kids who are not just educated but are nurtured to make a difference in their communities and the world. It’s truly a unique and meaningful environment.
Looking at the broader educational landscape, are there any trends you’re seeing that are affecting K–12 education, and how is your school adapting?
One of the biggest issues on our radar right now is the potential passing of the school choice bill in the upcoming Texas legislative session. If passed, it would significantly increase the number of families able to consider Christian education. Currently, the biggest barrier for many families is financial, since we are entirely tuition-funded and receive no federal or state funds. The passage of this bill could open the door for many more families who might not otherwise be able to afford it. So, we’re closely monitoring the outcome and planning accordingly.
Are there any extended programs underway, and how are you preparing students for the workforce or higher education?
We expanded our STEM program in two key ways. First, we want it to be a self-sustaining initiative. Students involved in the house-building project not only construct the house but also market and sell it each spring. The goal is to raise enough money from sales to fund next year’s project. Additionally, we’ve introduced a component where local business leaders visit weekly to speak with students about topics like team management and project coordination. Students also get hands-on experience working directly with businesses — from Chick-fil-A to local factories and construction firms. This exposure helps them better understand career options and prepare for life after graduation.
Are there any specific programs in place to help support families?
Each year we allocate a portion of tuition dollars for financial aid. We’ve also partnered with ACE Scholarships, which provides additional scholarships to qualifying families. Beyond that, we’ve been blessed with incredibly generous families who have stepped forward to help others. This year, several families have initiated efforts to establish scholarship funds so that others can experience the same blessings they’ve received. It’s incredibly humbling to see people choose to give back in this way, especially when there are so many other worthwhile causes they could support.
Could you expand on how your students engage with and contribute to the local community?
For instance, our middle school National Junior Honor Society writes letters to local veterans in nursing homes, many of whom don’t have family visitors. Our students not only write letters of appreciation and encouragement, but they also visit to deliver them and spend time with the veterans. Our high-school students regularly visit nursing homes to play games, sing songs, and connect with the residents. Recently, our senior class helped pack nearly 400 boxes at the New Braunfels Food Bank in just a few hours. We seek out every opportunity to serve, showing our students how to live out their faith by being a blessing to others.
Could you share more about the role that faith plays in your students’ education?
For many of our families, their faith is central to who they are. They’re looking for a school that partners with them to provide a strong spiritual foundation for their children. What I tell families is this: I don’t expect a student to graduate from NBCA with an answer to every life challenge. But I do want them to have a firm biblical foundation to fall back on when they face adversity, difficult relationships, or spiritual questions. That’s why families choose NBCA — they want faith to be interwoven not just at home, but throughout the eight hours a day their children spend at school.
Looking ahead to the next two to three years, what are your top priorities, and what is your outlook for the Academy?
Our next major priority is the construction of a new academic building. The new facility will feature 37 state-of-the-art classrooms, science labs, art rooms, and a maker space. It will increase our capacity by 50%, which is crucial as many of our grade levels are currently at capacity or have waiting lists. Construction should be completed in time for the 2026–2027 school year, and it will allow us to welcome more students and better serve our growing community.
We’re in the middle of making some exciting and strategic hires. We’ve brought on a new athletics director and are in the process of hiring a new high-school assistant principal and a counselor. These new team members will help us continue on our path to excellence. Over the past five years, our family retention rate has steadily climbed — right now, we’re at a little over 96%, which is phenomenal for a private Christian school. It tells us families love being here, want to stay, and are recommending us to others. That’s a great sign of health and momentum.
For more information, visit:
