Christian Schools International (CSI)

Christian Schools International was founded in 1920 as the National Union of Christian Schools. It took its present name in the early 1970s and, although its acronym sounds similar to ACSI or Association of Christian Schools International, it is independent and separate from that larger organization.

Its headquarters is in Grand Rapids, Michigan. More than 450 CSI schools exist in North America, with eleven in Washington State. CSI schools are located in the communities of Bellevue, Ellensburg, Everett, Lynden, Monroe, Mt. Vernon, Oak Harbor, Shoreline (where the CSI school was known as Watson Groen until 1998), and Sunnyside. Some of the CSI institutions go back many years, with the schools in Lynden (1910), Everett (1925) and Oak Harbor (1938) being the oldest. CSI schools vary in size from slightly over 100 students in Ellensburg to 1100 in Lynden and 1300 in Bellevue. Five -Lynden, Bellevue, Shoreline, Mt. Vernon & Sunnyside - have established high schools as well.

CSI schools are founded by parents and are not under the control of any church or group of churches, making them private and not parochial schools.

A board of directors, usually chosen by parents and other supporters, oversees each school. The philosophical underpinning that unites these schools is that all aspects of education should be Christian, influencing every area of the students’ lives. Most CSI schools use a combination of Christian and secular textbooks, with very careful consideration given to the hiring of their teachers.

All CSI institutions strive for excellence in education with the goal of preparing students to influence and serve their world now and into their futures. Many parents volunteer in numerous ways and make financial sacrifices to support and serve the schools. Growth and a sense of vitality are very evident in Washington’s CSI schools, some of which have been involved in WFIS from its beginning. Our schools will continue to be an important part of the private school community and a force for positive educational leadership for the children of this state far into the future.

For more information:

ELAINE BROWER
District Coordinator
Northwest CSI
c/o Alta Vista Center
1719 NE 50th St.
Seattle, WA 98105
(206) 525-2262