Still Creek Ranch

Mission and support

The Ranch's mission is to provide for the spiritual, physical, emotional, and academic needs of the residents and students. The Ranch is a non-profit organization that operates on donations from individuals, businesses, corporations, foundations, civic groups, and churches. Donations go toward general operating expenses, including groceries, utilities, and salaries for the staff members. The Ranch relies heavily on three annual fundraisers.

Members of the community as well as students from nearby Texas A&M University volunteer their time helping at the Ranch.

History

Prior to the coming of the O'Quinns, the land on which Still Creek was built was a children's residential treatment center run by The Answer. When starting the school, Still Creek Ranch leased 14 acres of land that had one school building which had been an old barracks, one building that housed the children, and an old barn. In the first three years, the school served 14 students.

With the assistance of staff member Ken Klein, Still Creek shifted its focus away from residential treatment to being a boarding school for underprivileged children. The mission changed to providing a home for children abandoned by their parents. The home's goal was to provide children with structure, discipline, and education in order to become independent adults.

Initially, Still Creek served only boys. However, an unidentified benefactor donated 20 acres on the condition that a girls’ home be built on the Ranch. In three years, a girls' home had been built with the help of the Jensen Foundation of Dallas, Texas . Later, the landlord who leased the original 14 acres deeded her entire 100 acres to the Ranch.

When the need arrived to build a school building, a four acre lot next to the Ranch came up for sale and a donation was given from a donor in Bryan, Texas that was equal to the sales price. When the foundations to the school were poured, Bibles were placed in each corner. The school was built slowly as donations came in. Volunteers, staff and the boys on the Ranch helped build a mechanic’s shop, a welding shop, a wood shop and horse barns. Every vehicle, piece of furniture, and other furnishings were donated.

In 2005, Still Creek bought a 100 acre strip of land with the help of the Jensen Foundation. The land supports oil wells that provide a steady income to the Ranch. Later, a donor bought 15 acres of land adjoining Still Creek Ranch and built a covered horse arena with numerous horse stalls, a kitchen, and bathrooms.

In May 2012, Steve and Tracy Singleton took over management at Still Creek while the O'Quinns retired to New Mexico to start a summer camp for abused children. The Singletons were former directors of Happy Hill Farm Academy in Granbury, Texas.

In 2013, Still Creek launched Restore Her, a ministry specifically focused on the restoration of minor girls who had either been trafficked or who had been exposed to the commercial sex industry. In 2014, a third girls' house was completed.

In March 2015, Tim Floyd was named the new Executive Director of Still Creek Ranch. He and his wife Lori previously served as house parents at the New Mexico Baptist Children's Home. Prior to that, Tim served as the Program Director for Open Door Ministries in Denver, Colorado.

Accreditation and Facilities

Still Creek Ranch is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and has been accredited since 1991. The school is interdenominational and not affiliated with any particular church.

The Ranch has two homes for boys and three homes for girls, a school, staff housing, various shops, and a roofed arena for riding and horse shows. Covering 88,000 square feet (8,200 m²), the arena is among the largest in the region.The school also has a computer lab, science lab, library, weight room, and gymnasium.