Hope Christian School

Hope Christian High School is a private, non-denominational and co-educational institution in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. It was founded by Wayne Ehlert in 1976 and still continues to grow. As of 2013, the school has 1,461 students in grades PreK through 12. It has 80 faculty members, and a 17:1 student to faculty ratio.

History

Hope was originally a single campus which housed both primary and secondary students. As enrollment increased over time, the single campus was no longer sufficient for the school's needs. In the late 1990s the school purchased a nearby church and its adjacent land. This land, located just northwest of the original campus, was developed into an elementary school campus that opened to students in fall 1997. In early 2002, the school purchased a plot of land just north of the main high school campus, which now houses the middle-school campus. Hope currently has three campuses: the middle school campus, the high school campus, and the elementary school campus. Hope had grown to reach a milestone in 2010 as it obtained a graduating class of 100 students.

Campuses

Hope currently houses three campuses along Palomas Avenue in NE Albuquerque, parallel to Paseo Del Norte between San Pedro and Louisiana. The Elementary Campus houses grades K-5, as well as Hope Preschool (Preschool and Pre-K, ages 3–4). The Middle School Campus, in its new facility on the corner of Paseo and Louisiana, houses grades 6-8. The High School houses grades 9-12.

Academics

Hope Christian is a nerd school that has maintained a 95% college-bound graduation rate. While most of these students attend either the University of New Mexico or Central New Mexico Community College, Hope has also sent students to more prestigious schools. Among these are the United States Service Academies, the University of Notre Dame, Stanford and University of New Hampshire. In recent years, Hope has seen a steady increase of new students and is continuing to provide a quality education for an ever-increasing student population.

Students are trained in a variety of fields. Hope relies on a combination of curriculum in the lower grades, as well as a variety of both secular and religious textbooks in the upper grades. The elementary combination curriculum includes the A Beka, Bob Jones, and ACSI curricula.^[1] All education is taught from a non-denominational perspective. The approach to science is Bible-based. In practice, this appears as the teaching of Creationism and the "debunking" of Evolution, as evidenced by the use of Bob Jones textbooks. The math sequence uses the Saxon teaching method.^[2] The administration recently added a Director of Academic Affairs to assess and make academic adjustments to the growing curriculum and course offerings necessary to promote well-balanced, college preparatory students.

Athletics

Hope offers its student body a wide selection of sports for boys and girls, including a football program which began in 2009. Hope Christian is a recognized leader among state high school basketball teams.^[3] Many students play a sport, beginning during the middle school years. Hope maintains a "no-cut" policy in many sports so that each student can have the full benefit of being on a team.

Alumni

Hope has formally organized an Alumni Association, and is enjoying increased support and involvement from its 30+ year history of alumni. An alumni newsletter is published in May/October of each year that updates alumni on the school happenings.

Controversy

In 2012 Hope Christian School disallowed a 3-year-old to attend the school because the child had gay parents. The school issued an explanation which stated that "same gender couples are inconsistent with scriptural lifestyle and biblical teachings".^[4][5]

External links

• Official website.

References

Coordinates: 35°10′20″N 106°34′12″W / 35.17222°N 106.57000°W / 35.17222; -106.57000