1. Why do students come to OBI?
2. Where do our students come from?
3. How do people hear about Oneida Baptist Institute?
4. What grades is OBI for?
5. Is Oneida a school for 'problem kids'?
6. What percentage of OBI graduates go on to higher education?
7. When does the Oneida school accept students?
8. What can Oneida Baptist Institute offer my child that another school does not provide?
9. What activities can my child be involved in at OBI?
10. How does the Oneida school maintain its distinctive Christian approach?
11. What if we're not Baptists? (or not even Christians?)
12. What kind of success rate does Oneida Baptist Institute have?
13. What kind of financial assistance is available for students?
14. What kinds of discipline are used with students at OBI?
15. How often may boarding students go home for a visit?
16. Is there a Dress Code at OBI?
17. May Students Smoke?

Why do students come to OBI?

• They want a Christian education and Christian influences.
• They enjoy the independence boarding school gives in preparation for college.
• Some may be struggling academically in public schools.
• Some need our Tutoring Lab or our 1:15 teacher/student ratio.
• Others may be experiencing social or family problems.

Where do our students come from?

Approximately 50% of our student population comes from Kentucky. Another 40% comes from other states in the U.S. The last 10% of our students come to us from other countries. OBI is one of the most diverse high schools in the world.

How do people hear about Oneida Baptist Institute?

Most of our publicity happens the old-fashioned way: word of mouth. Students and their families share the news of our ministry with others who need to know. Many people in the helping professions recommend us. Our alumni are our best advertisement.

What grades is OBI for?

We enroll young people in grades 6-12.

Is Oneida a school for 'problem kids'?

No. We are a Christian school that takes Jesus' words and example as our mission. We are a "Good Samaritan" school, trying to share love and truth with young people who need hope and help.

We are not a reform school, and we do not focus exclusively on students who have problems. We do, however, often accept students who provide challenges for us. We do not accept any student who is not physically and emotionally able to be away from home. During our evaluation process, we seriously assess any behaviors that could hurt others and do not accept every student who applies. If you have questions about whether your child is appropriate, contact admissions4obi@yahoo.com

Many of our students immediately show that they simply needed adults to become involved with them as positive examples, a consistently caring environment and a more structured schedule.

Do not assume that OBI will automatically accept any student who is recommended by a church, or who is a Christian and active in church.

What percentage of OBI graduates go on to higher education?

Approximately 60% of our graduates go on to some form of higher education.

When does the Oneida school accept students?

We realize that a young person may need what we have to offer at any time during the year. Since we believe in meeting needs when they arise, we do accept students year-round, though not every day. Our Admission's process goes on throughout the year and students are interviewed and accepted every Sunday (except within 3 weeks of a major break.) For more information, see our "Admissions" page.

What can Oneida Baptist Institute offer my child that another school does not provide?

• a structured environment
• small class sizes
• nightly study hall
• a Tutoring Lab for students with low reading or math skills
• boarding facilities
• a distinctive Christian approach
• a unique student work program
• friends from other countries and cultures

What activities can my child be involved in at OBI?

Through elective courses in school, students may experience many diverse subjects from the arts to welding. After school, our young people can participate in a variety of co curricular activities. (For more information, see the How We Are Different page or go directly to Cocurriculars.)

How does the Oneida school maintain its distinctive Christian approach?

• Christian faculty and staff
• daily chapel services Monday-Friday (required of all students)
• one year of Bible required to graduate
• an optional advanced Bible class
• the only middle school/high school Baptist Student Union in Kentucky
• Worship on Sundays (required of boarding students)
• Optional Bible Studies and other activities.
(For more information, go to "how_different.shtml#spiritual">Spiritual Life".)

What if we're not Baptists? (or not even Christians?)

We have never required that students or their families be Baptist or even Christian. In fact, most of our students do not profess to be Christians when they enroll. We respect the right of each young person to make his/her own decisions. Every year, many do respond and put their faith in Christ. See the information at how_different.shtml#spiritual">spiritual life.

What kind of success rate does Oneida Baptist Institute have?

Our definition of success is Biblical. We often discover God has a different plan for a young person than anyone ever anticipated. Part of the reward of our ministry is seeing the excitement of a new discovery in the lives of kids who were experiencing failure and frustration prior to coming to OBI.

Do all of our students go on to college? No, but many go who may have been drop-outs if they had not come to OBI. Do all become Christians? Again, no. However, each year many young people come to understand their need of Christ-centered lives. Many students have told us that it was not only what they accomplished while students here, but also the life-lessons they learned which helped them long after graduation. While we are not always successful, we have been able to motivate and encourage many who were destined for failure.

What kind of financial assistance is available for students?

Oneida provides financial assistance for virtually every student. Our fees for room and board are very modest by any standards. The average boarding school in America charges about $20,000 per year. Many are much more. The average cost to attend OBI is about $4,000 per year. (PLEASE call for current financial information.) Additionally, many schools require the fees for each semester to be paid in advance, but our fees are paid monthly. Oneida students pay far less than one-half the actual cost of their academic instruction and daily care. For students with legitimate financial needs, we will go the second mile by trying to provide additional assistance.

What kinds of discipline are used with students at OBI?

Minor school infractions will earn a student an after-school detention. Teachers and deans may also assign essays to students. We do use limited corporal punishment in some instances, but only the school principal, Dean of Girls and Dean of Boys are allowed to administer this punishment, in the presence of witnesses, and no more than two per day. A common form of discipline is the assigning of extra work duties to young people who break the rules. The consistency and predictability of rules is a major reason many of our students turn their behavior patterns around and experience success.

Students may also be "campused" for the evening. This means they cannot go to "free time" or to the computer lab that night.

Boys and girls can also be "social campused" from one another in cases of inappropriate behavior. Students who are "socialed" can have no form of contact with each other for a specified number of days.

Oneida students who are suspended on campus are required to work during the school day. Suspensions may last anywhere from one to ten days. An average suspension is three days.

Boys generally work on the farm, yard crew or by doing supervised jobs on campus. Girls may be assigned to the greenhouses or the kitchen area.

How often may boarding students go home for a visit?

Dormitory students may have one weekend home per month, provided they live close enough for this to be feasible. Additionally, one other weekend a month the family may come to visit with the student on campus. (Go to visit_obi.shtml">Visit OBI for information on campus housing and lodging nearby.)

Our school schedule provides plenty of time for our young people to also enjoy extended periods of time with their families: fall break, Thanksgiving break, Christmas break, spring break, plus several long weekends. Because we do not normally cancel school for any reason, the school year passes quickly. Our students are often out 2-3 weeks before public systems. (For more information, go to our "calendar.shtml">School calendar".)

Is there a Dress Code at OBI?

Yes. Our dress code is NOT a school uniform, but it is also NOT wear what you want. It is important for parents to contact the Dean of Students to get current information on the dress code so the student will not spend lots of money on clothes they cannot wear at OBI, or bring clothes to OBI that will be confiscated. (The dress code for girls has recently been revised and is more like a uniform dress code than before, so please get this information.)

It is important for students to remember that our school has many visitors and volunteers on campus. Our dress code keeps the presentation of our school to these friends in mind.

May Students Smoke?

In order to take some of the students we want to work with, our policy is that high School students may smoke with permission from OBI, their families and total compliance to the smoking policy. The student should know that the longer they are at OBI, the less access they will have to their smoking privilege, as it is our goal that all students stop smoking. Non-compliance with the smoking policy may result in suspension or expulsion.