McGEE'S CROSSROADS - Lindsey Roberts was unhappy with the C's she was making in English at West Johnston High, and she'd fallen in with the wrong crowd.

So Roberts and her parents decided it was time for a change. She transferred to Lighthouse Christian Academy, which she says is a much better fit for her.

"You get more one-on-one help," Roberts said. "I have way better friends here."

Roberts, a senior, expects to be among the school's second class of graduates this year. She plans to study music at Johnston Community College after graduation.

Lighthouse administrator Dianne Gilleland hopes her school can serve many more kids like Roberts in the years to come. Since Johnston Christian Academy closed, the school of 23 students is Johnston County's only K-12 Christian school.

Gilleland wants to see the student body increase to 50, and she hopes to start other campuses in Clayton and Smithfield.

"That's a huge vision, but that's what I see," Gilleland said.

For now though, the school has lost a few students whose families could no longer afford tuition in the recession. And the number of parent volunteers has dropped as some moms have had to go back to work, Gilleland said. But she's optimistic the school will grow as more people come to know about it. Now, most students come from the McGee's Crossroads and Cleveland communities.

The school has grown dramatically since it opened in 2002 with six students in Gilleland's house. She had been home-schooling her two kids but decided they needed more social interaction. The school's modular building was a gift from Johnston Medical Center and has since been moved to a lot on Old Fairground Road. Fellowship Community Church rents the building on weekends.

Gilleland credits the school's success to the personal attention students get. The curriculum is based on an independent-study model in which kids work through assignments at their own pace and ask for help when needed. Students must score 80 percent or better on tests before they can move on to the next subject.

Roberts, the Lighthouse senior, said she likes the freedom she has with her studies. Sometimes she's not ready to tackle math first thing in the morning, and that's not a problem.

"I can do something else," she said. "I don't have a specific class I have to go to."

Roberts has also been able to take on leadership as student council president, something she says she never would have done at West Johnston. Student council is one of several extracurricular activities the school offers with the help of parents. Others are physical education, music, drama and Key Club.

Roberts said she also gets to help out the younger kids when they have questions, and for her senior project, she's putting on a pageant to benefit the school.

"We're kind of like a family," Roberts said, adding that she sometimes goes to Gilleland for advice.

The school day starts with prayer and devotion at 8:30 a.m. Local pastors sometimes come in to talk to students, and Gilleland wants to see more churches involved with the school. With more support from congregations, the school can offer reduced tuition to more students who need it, she said.

"It would be great to have community input," Gilleland said. "We would love to see retired grandmothers coming in and helping out."