Legacy Legends: Rich Flora

(Legacy Legends are stories written by SACS Students about some of our longest serving employees and their families.)

 He didn’t start as a teacher. His first job at the school was building portables. Now, he is one of the most loved and respected teachers who is famous for playing his guitar and harmonica simultaneously. Rich Flora has worked at San Antonio Christian Schools (SACS) for twenty-nine years, but before that he was a homebuilder. While laying the roof on one of the portables, the elementary school principal of SACS at the time learned he had a teaching certificate and a week later offered him a job. He was glad to leave the building trade and join his true passion of working in the ministry. Flora found his niche.

            Flora has had three children come to SACS. His children are Dusty (37), who started the same year Flora did, Laura (35), and Abbie Flora (32). Each of his children started at SACS as kindergarteners and journeyed all the way through their senior year, a total of thirteen years each. For the Floras, SACS allowed their family to stay together. Flora says, “It’s been almost a home for us away from home.” For his children SACS was important because it was their childhood; it was their growing up. Flora has been able to watch his children have really good friendships through SACS that have lasted beyond the classroom and beyond graduation. Not only did they build their friendships, but they also built on their Christian foundation. At the school, Flora was able to do what he loved and his family was able to stay close. For his family, it was a good niche.

            Flora never really enjoyed being a homebuilder. Because of this he was delighted when he was offered a job at SACS. He could now go into to his dream job of working in ministry. Like many other teachers, he didn’t start with the job he has now. For his first five years, he worked in the elementary. Then, for the majority of his time at SACS, he was the Freshman Bible teacher for a total of twenty-one years. Now for his third year, he is happily teaching Bible to the seniors. SACS has been a place to invest his life. He hasn’t had to move his family much like he did when he was young, and he knows he is blessed because of it. While working at SACS, Flora says, “It has given me a ministry that I could invest myself in for most of my adult life.” Not only has being a part of SACS been something he wanted, but Flora also knows it is something God wanted. Being at SACS has allowed him to know what the will of God is for him on a long-term basis. God has allowed him to find what he needs. Flora says, “I found a niche here that I never question or caused me to want to leave.”

            Throughout his twenty-nine years at SACS, Flora has noticed how much SACS has changed. He has been able to watch SACS grow. He is able to remember when a class would have only eighteen students, and now they have about one hundred. Flora says, “We don’t have the luxury of the small school feeling anymore.” Even though the school has grown immensely, Flora still sees a loyalty among the students to the teachers that taught them, and Flora says he still has many students he has kept in contact with. Flora has even had the opportunity to officiate at seven plus SACS graduate weddings. Not only is SACS loyal, Flora says, “It is a prime environment for both excellence in learning and mentoring and disciplining young people for their life.” He says SACS is important because it prepares its student on how to approach careers and wanting to make a difference for the Lord. Even though the size and many other things have changed, Flora still fits right into his niche.

            Flora, in his twenty-nine years, has been very involved in SACS. Even though it’s not biological, he views SACS kids as his own children. He loves the education, the music, the ministry, the mission trips, and he overall loves the kind of place SACS is. Everyone needs a niche and Flora found his. He says, “My “niche” has been teaching and loving SACS students for about 30 years and I’m blessed to have been afforded that privilege.” Flora found the perfect niche. 

Written by Rebecca James, Freshman SACS High School

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