Mars Hill Bible School offers a unique, quality Christian education in a 'family-like' atmosphere that stresses the importance of God, country and moral values. Mars Hill Bible School is a nominally non-sectarian preparatory day school for boys and girls located in Florence, Alabama. The school begins at pre-kindergarten and continues through the twelfth grade. Mars Hill Academy, the first predecessor of today's school was opened by T. B. Larimore on January 1, 1871. He later changed the name to Mars Hill College. The academy and college operated for 16 years teaching hundreds of young men. The college was closed in 1888 in order for Larimore to spend more time preaching. Mars Hill Bible School was opened in 1947 through a collaboration among local churches of Christ. While Mars Hill Bible School affiliates itself with the churches of Christ and although the Mars Hill Church of Christ is next to the campus, the school is completely independent of all churches and is a fully autonomous entity.