Who Are We?
Holy City Academy is a faith-based hybrid micro school serving preschool through 6th grade, designed to partner with homeschooling families in Charleston, South Carolina. Operating under the 501(c)(3) covering of Calvary Chapel Charleston, we blend the flexibility of home education with the structure and community of on-campus learning. Students attend core academic classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and all families—including those independently homeschooling—are invited to participate in our vibrant Wednesday co-op day offering Christ-centered enrichment, creativity, and connection.
In accordance with 1 Peter 3:15, our goal is to support parents in their spiritual and academic journey of training their children in the way they should go—producing students who are grounded in truth, equipped with hope, and able to articulate the reason for their hope while navigating the world according to biblical principles.
Rooted in a biblical worldview, our mission is to cultivate joyful learning, character development, and academic excellence in a nurturing, discipleship-driven environment. Holy City Academy is growing joyfully and intentionally—raising up the next generation with faith, truth, and wonder at our school.
Mission
Holy City Academy exists to partner with families in cultivating joyful, Christ-centered learning through a hybrid model that fosters academic excellence, strong character, and a biblical worldview—equipping students to know truth, walk in hope, and boldly live out their faith. We aim to provide the best of both worlds by combining meaningful on-campus instruction with the nurturing environment of home, creating a happy medium where students and families can truly thrive.
Curriculum
Holy City Academy uses The Good and The Beautiful curriculum, a Christian homeschool program that emphasizes family, faith, character, and wholesome literature. We love this curriculum for its seamless integration between school and home, as well as its four-day structure that allows for an open fifth day of instruction. You can learn more about The Good and The Beautiful at goodandbeautiful.com.
Weekly Schedule
Students in our Core Track meet on campus Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:15 AM to 12:00 PM for instruction in core academic subjects. Families complete the remaining lessons at home on Mondays and Fridays. On Wednesdays from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, our optional Co-Op Track offers hands-on enrichment and connection, open to both HCA students and independently homeschooling families.
Grades
We are excited to serve Preschool - 6th grade in the 2025-2026 school year! Class sizes are limited and registration will be closed when classes are full.
Tuition
TRACK 1 – CORE 📚 Tues + Thurs Academic Classes $160/month or $1,440/year
TRACK 2 – CREATE 🎨 Wed Elective Co-Op (for independent homeschoolers) $50/month or $450/year
TRACK 3 – COMPLETE 🌟 CORE + CREATE (All Three Days) $210/month or $1,890/year
Location
Holy City Academy is a ministry of Calvary Chapel Charleston. We are located at 8780b Riverse Ave STE 200, North Charleston, SC 29406.
GET INVOLVED
Meet Our Founders
Kelly Perea / Founder
Kelly Perea has spent over three decades immersed in Christian education—as a teacher, school founder, homeschooling mom of eight, and now as co-founder and principal of Holy City Academy. Her journey began in 1990 when she and her best friend, fellow educator Cindi Krebs, launched Moriah Christian School. It was there that Kelly served for thirteen years as the elementary director, supporting families through a unique “umbrella school” model that offered weekly classes, curriculum guidance, field trips, testing, and a thriving community for homeschoolers.
But her greatest ministry has always been at home—raising and educating her own children while partnering in church planting alongside her husband, Pastor Richard Perea. In 2007, they moved to Charleston to start Calvary Chapel Charleston and continue their homeschool journey with the six youngest of their eight children.
When her daughter-in-law Bethany voiced the need for a hybrid model that blended homeschool freedom with academic support and Christ-centered community, Kelly simply responded, “Well, let’s do it.” And together, Holy City Academy was born.
Now a grandmother to twenty grandchildren, Kelly’s heart for children and families is at the very center of everything HCA is and does. She taught first and second grade during the school’s inaugural year and is returning this year as principal and second/third grade teacher. Her wisdom, faithfulness, and servant leadership continue to bless every student, parent, and teacher in the Holy City Academy community.
Bethany Perea / Co-Founder
Bethany Perea is a homeschooling mom of four who, like many parents, found the journey both rewarding and overwhelming to do alone. When her mother-in-law, Kelly—an experienced educator with a Master’s in Educational Leadership—asked how she could help, Bethany shared her honest hope: “In my ideal world, I’d love some kind of happy-medium support in my homeschool. I don’t want my kids in school full-time, but I know I’m craving support and community. I’d love a three- or four-day-a-week, half-day type of thing—but I’m not sure that exists.”
Kelly’s response: “Well, let’s do it.”
And just like that, Holy City Academy was born.
Throughout 2023 and 2024, Bethany and Kelly poured their hearts into building a hybrid micro school designed to meet that exact need—a space where families can find both academic excellence and the flexible, faith-filled support they’ve been longing for.
As Co-Founder, Administrator, and Creative Director of Holy City Academy, Bethany brings a unique blend of strategic leadership, program development, and deep compassion for families. She oversees the school’s day-to-day operations while shaping its mission, values, and systems—ensuring that both staff and families are equipped to thrive.
An active member of Calvary Chapel Charleston and a mom still living the homeschool life herself, Bethany is personally and prayerfully invested in the HCA community. Her heart for discipleship, excellence, and joyful learning is woven into every part of the school—and continues to be a driving force in its growth.