The
school began in 1953 with twenty-one students and three teachers on
the two acres that make up the property belonging to the church and
school.
The first classrooms were in the Fellowship Hall, kitchen and the
present library. In 1954 two new classrooms were built for the
Kindergarten and Grades One, Two, and Three. Two army surplus
buildings were brought in and renovated to become staff living
quarters.
New classrooms were built in a row at the back of the property so
that by 1981 each grade had its own classroom and teacher.
The student body grew to 130 by 1981-82 with a staff of nine
teachers and three assistant teachers. Five classrooms, the
library, and the present office building have been named in honor
of friends of the school: the Haley Memorial, the Guen Griffith
Memorial, the Donald & Jo Roth House, the Allan Powell Room,
the Jessica Floyd Room and the Eleanor Sprankles Early Education
Room.
In 1996 self-contained classrooms for Grades Six, Seven, and Eight
(one teacher per grade level) were changed to multiple class
schedules (teachers teaching specific subjects and students
changing classes). Also, in 1996, the former school office was
converted into a computer lab, and the school office moved to the
old kindergarten room. The kindergarten class began their learning
in the former parsonage, now called The Little Red School
House.
The Sunset Beach Christian School was licensed by the Department of
Education of the State of Hawaii in October, 1953. On April 23,
1954, the Sunset Beach Church of Christ and Christian School was
officially incorporated as a nonprofit organization. Presently, the
school is licensed by the Hawaii Council of Private Schools (HCPS)
and has had membership in the Association of Christian Schools
International (ACSI) since 1993.
All teaching staff members have a minimum of a four-year Bachelor
of Arts degree. Several of them have their Masters Degree. As a
part of their continuing education, our teachers are required to
attend the ACSI Teacher Convention held annually, along with
in-service training held at the school.