Chattanooga Christian School President Chad Dirkse has announced he is stepping down at the end of the current school year. Dirkse, who has been the school's president for the past 14 years, has accepted an offer to become head of school at Annapolis Area Christian School, a K-12 co-ed private school in Annapolis, Maryland.
"I'm a builder and not a sustainer by nature," Dirkse said in a phone interview. "In December an opportunity was presented that I couldn't shake. Our daughter is graduating from college, and my wife and I are at a different state in our lives, so I think this will be a good step for us as well as for CCS.
"The decision to leave was the most difficult thing I've done. We love CCS. It's been great for our family. The school is a wonderful family, and there's still lots more to do there. I'm proud that we've been able to really expand on what the founders at CCS were hoping to do at a Christian school in Chattanooga."
During his tenure at the school, Dirkse oversaw an overall growth of around 500 students to a current enrollment of 1,475 in kindergarten through 12th grade.
The school's athletic teams also moved up in classification, from competing in Tennessee's smallest class when Dirkse arrived to now competing in the largest private school classification in every sport except football, in which the Chargers play in the league for the state's mid-sized private schools.
CCS teams claimed 12 state championships in various sports during Dirkse's tenure.
"For 14 years Chad has led the school very capably and very well," Tyler Siira, chairman of the school's board of directors, said in a news release. "The growth of the school over those 14 years has been remarkable by all measures. The academics have been sharpened, co-curriculars have been broadened, facilities have been improved and the finances are in order.
"It is natural to ask 'what is next?' One of the many things that Chad has done well over the years is assemble a very talented senior team, and that team has been a part of this conversation and is ready to step up and lead through this transition period."
The board will use a transition committee to appoint an interim head of school for the 2023-24 school year and will then conduct a search for a permanent replacement, Siira said.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.