Karl Boehm: Welcome to Help One Hundred Schools. Today’s episode features a wonderful school as part of our Elevation initiative designed to highlight and support worthy schools like the one you’re about to meet. If you wish to learn more, support, or subscribe, please visit Help100Schools.com for additional information. Now, let’s move on to today’s featured school. Welcome to Help One Hundred Schools. Today’s feature is the Premier Academy of Fine Arts of North Texas. We are here with Elizabeth Tinius. Elizabeth, could you introduce yourself, your school, and your position with the school?
Dr. Elizabeth Tinius: Yes, thank you so much for having me today. I’m Dr. Elizabeth Tinius with the Premier Academy of Fine Arts of North Texas and the Executive Director.
Karl Boehm: Dr. Tinius, why do families choose your school for their students?
Dr. Elizabeth Tinius: We did a soft launch with our school last year and this year, we are hoping to open a full semester with a complete count of students. Students and families are coming to the Premier Academy of Fine Arts in North Texas for our unique, high-quality, innovative programs, including our fine arts programs where students have the opportunity to get paid while they are high school students. We have real-world opportunities for our students as well, networking and creating connections with people across the nation and even internationally. For example, musicians at our school have opportunities to perform, record in our studio, and be featured on platforms like Spotify and Pandora. We are also working on launching our own television station for our actors and musicians. These opportunities are completely unique to our Christian school environment here at the Premier Academy of Fine Arts in North Texas.
Karl Boehm: That’s exciting. Thank you, Dr. Tinius. This is unique; we don’t always get the opportunity to feature schools that are so new. Can you give us a little bit about the story of how you came to found the school and a little bit of the background there?
Dr. Elizabeth Tinius: Sure. I have nine years of teaching experience and three years as a school administrator. At my last school, I landed my dream job as an associate principal, but it ended up turning sour really fast. I felt like God was pulling me in a different direction. Over the Christmas holidays, I typed up a 20-page document about what a school would be like if I started one. I always dreamed of a Fine Arts High School because of my background in music. I play piano, percussion, flute, and guitar. Fast forward, I started making things happen, formulated the school, organized the 501(c)(3), and now we are an official federally recognized program. We started with band, choir, orchestra, dance, theater, musical theater, audio recording, animation, graphic design, photography, visual arts, guitar, piano, and harp. We are the only Christian fine arts high school in Texas and one of two in the nation, according to the president of the Herzog Foundation. Despite challenges, God has laid out a clear path for us, and we did a soft launch last September. We are excited for a full launch this coming school year.
Karl Boehm: Wow. All in one year, correct?
Dr. Elizabeth Tinius: It started in 2022. We were able to open within one year, but it has taken time to get to this point.
Karl Boehm: That’s still very fast and impressive. What would you say is the most captivating part of the story of your school?
Dr. Elizabeth Tinius: This was an epiphany for me. I can trace back the founding of this school to when I was a teenager. I met my future husband at camp when I was 16, and we got married five years later. I had 140 music hours but graduated with a degree in Spanish because I just needed to finish college quickly. I became a stay-at-home mom for nine years. In my early 30s, I decided to go into education. I got into a transition to teaching program because I had a degree in Spanish. I loved teaching and moved back to Texas, got my principal certification, and started this school. It has been an amazing progression, seeing how God lined up everything for me to be here right now.
Karl Boehm: And you took tremendous action, which is really commendable. What do you think are two aspects of the school the world should know about?
Dr. Elizabeth Tinius: We are the only Christian fine arts high school in Texas and one of two in the nation. We have partnerships with a distribution company in the UK and a local movie studio where the first season of The Chosen was filmed. Our principal at Fine Arts, Dr. Mark Stingley, is a world-renowned opera singer. Our orchestra teacher has 50 published compositions with the JD Pepper publishing company. We are attracting top-notch professionals who are practicing artists themselves. One of our latest additions is a Hollywood talent manager donating her movie studio to the school. Our mission is to create Christian artists who lead people to Christ, and we are setting our students up for success.
Karl Boehm: Outstanding. What an incredible story and vision. Can you tell us about the next step in the application process for interested students?
Dr. Elizabeth Tinius: We encourage prospective students to sign up for an audition at www.premieracademyintx.com. The audition includes an interview with board members to learn more about the students and their passions. We want our students to feel like they are a part of building this school and creating the type of school they want to attend. We look forward to meeting our future families and students.
Karl Boehm: Thank you for tuning in to Help One Hundred Schools. If today’s feature struck a chord with you, we encourage you to share it. Your action can bridge the gap between deserving schools and families looking for a place where their children can thrive. Want to dive deeper or help more? Visit Help100Schools.com. Your engagement is the fuel that drives our mission forward, helping us reach and support more schools. Remember to subscribe to our show so you’ll never miss the stories that could inspire, move, or motivate us all to contribute to a better educational future. Together, let’s light up the path for education, one school at a time. We’re grateful for your support and for spreading the word. Stay tuned for more stories that will make a difference. Until next time, continue to be the change in education. Farewell for now.
