Alma Heights Christian Schools

Description

Alma Heights Christian Schools is located on 37 acres (15 ha) about 16 miles (26 km) south of San Francisco, California, and was founded by the Pillar of Fire Church It's operational leadership is a local administrative team, and it is developing a local Board of Reference and Board of Trustees. It partners with Highlands Christian Schools at the high school level. The address is 1295 Seville Dr for the elementary campus, and 1030 Linda Mar Blvd for the middle and high school campus.

Type of School

AHC is a co-educational, non-denominational, evangelical Christian elementary school, middle school and high school for day students. Seniors graduating from the college preparatory academic program at AHC are accepted into a wide range of colleges and universities. Top graduates have been recently been accepted at Princeton, UC Berkeley, and UCLA.

AHC is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI).

History

Alma Heights Academy was established in the 1950s by the Pillar of Fire Church as a boarding school in a rural, unincorporated part of San Mateo, CA, known as Pedro Valley. Property for the establishment of a Christian school was purchased in 1949-1951. In the following decade, it transitioned into an elementary and day school. Pedro Valley was later developed as part of a newly incorporated suburb of San Francisco named Pacifica, and many families moved into the area. Alma Heights Academy was named after Bishop Alma White, the founder of the Pillar of Fire Church. It was later renamed Alma Heights Christian Academy adding the word Christian to distinguish it from the Catholic schools in the local area. Beginning in 2010, the combined elementary, middle and high school are called Alma Heights Christian Schools.

Alma Heights’ enrollment gradually grew and the school became a charter member of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). The boarding school was closed in the spring of 1965 because the population of Pacifica had increased so that a greater demand for day students had materialized. By the mid-1970s, a second campus across the street from the original boarding school was developed. Additional classrooms and campus housing for teachers were added during the 1980s and 1990s. The high school started in 1986. In 1990, the first class of seven students graduated.

In this past decade, Alma Heights achieved accreditation with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and a major building program was completed, adding the gymnasium, library, science wing, computer lab, music room, shops, and several classrooms. In 2009, the high school merged with Highlands Christian College Preparatory, increasing the Alma Heights High School enrollment by almost 40%.

In 2009 Alma Heights Christian Academy and Highlands Christian College Preparatory in San Bruno combined their high school programs beginning in the fall of 2009. The newly combined high school program is located on the Alma Heights campus in Pacifica, California and is now called Alma Heights Christian High School.

Facilities

The campus is located on approximately 40 acres (160,000 m²) along San Pedro Creek with hills and a view of Montara Mountain. The school property now provides buildings on two campuses, one campus on each side of Linda Mar Boulevard. The Seville Campus includes the first completed building, and houses the kindergarten through fourth grade. The Linda Mar campus includes fifth through twelfth grade in separate buildings. The last two buildings to be added to the campus were fully occupied during the 2005-2006 school year. These comprise (1) an official-sized gymnasium which also includes classrooms, a commercial-sized kitchen, men's and women's shower/restrooms, a conference room, and workshops; and (2) a library, which also includes a computer lab, science lab and lecture rooms, and offices.

Accreditation

Alma Heights Christian Schools maintained membership with CACS throughout its early history, which then developed into the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). Alma Heights achieved accreditation with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) in early 2003, and after merging with Highland's Christian College Preparatory, has accreditation with ACSI.

Admissions requirements

Admissions requirements vary by grade level. The school has recently partnered with the Christian Learning Center and is piloting an inclusion program for students with learning disabilities. The school uses an online application process and uses ISEE testing at the high school level. International students are accepted from junior high through high school. Approximately 20% of the high school students are international. International students submit TOEFL scores and may also be required to interview by video conference to verify English proficiency.

Nondiscrimination Policy

“Alma Heights admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. We do reserve the right to screen applicants on the basis of religious preference.” The school's policy is silent regarding gender, sexual orientation and gender identity.

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