Valley Christian Schools (Los Angeles County, California)

Valley Christian Schools (VCS) is a private Christian K-12 school located in Los Angeles County, California. It is one of the largest in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. It was founded in 1935 and has 4 campuses (preschool, elementary, middle and high school) enrolling more than 1,300 students.^[1] The administration building and the middle and high school campuses are in Cerritos while the preschool and elementary campuses are in two separate sections in Bellflower.^[2]

Valley Christian Schools
Location
10818 Artesia Blvd (administration building) Cerritos , Los Angeles County , California 90703 United States
Information
School type	Private, Christian
Motto	Equip & Inspire
Religious affiliation(s)	Christian
Denomination	Protestant
Founded	1935
NCES School ID	BB060123
Grades	PK-12
Gender	coeducational
Enrollment	600 (2014-15[needs update])
Average class size	21 students
Area	33 acres
Campus type	small city
Color(s)	Maroon and gold
Athletics conference	Olympic League
Team name	Defenders
Accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Annual tuition	11,640 (9-11) 11,880 (12)
Affiliation	Christian Schools International (CSI) Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI)
Website	www.vcschools.org

In 2011, during its accreditation reviews, it received the highest degree of commendation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.^[3][4] Valley Christian Schools is a member of Christian Schools International (CSI) and the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI).

Academics

97% of VCHS graduates continue on to college.^[5] VCHS graduates who are accepted to University of California schools have the highest SAT scores of any Protestant, Catholic, or Lutheran high school in L.A. and Orange County.^[6][7]

In 2013 VCHS students had an 81% pass rate (3 or higher) on AP exams compared to a National average of 58%.^[8]

Valley Christian offers 20 AP and Honors courses.^[5]

Athletics

Valley Christian is current a member of the Olympic League of the CIF Southern Section. VCHS teams have won 200 league championships and 30 CIF state titles (and another three state runners-up).^[5] In 2011 the soccer team was ranked by USA Today as the #1 team in America.^[9] Nearly 60% of students participate in school athletics. The Girls Volleyball team has won a national championship.^[10]

Notable alumni

• John Verhoeven (Class of 1971) - Former Major League Baseball pitcher and head baseball coach at Biola University
• Greg Laswell (Class of 1992) - musician
• Kirk Saarloos (Class of 1997) - Former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros, Oakland A's, and Cincinnati Reds
• Arthur Chu (Class of 2002)^[11] - Class valedictorian, Jeopardy! contestant in from January 28, 2014 – March 12, 2014. Third-ranked Jeopardy champion of all time both in wins and money won.^[12]
• Beau Bennett (Class of 2010, transferred out) - National Hockey League forward for the St. Louis Blues. Highest-drafted Californian born-and-trained player in NHL history, and first California born-and-trained player to become a Stanley Cup Champion (2016).^[13]
• Kennedy Wesley (Class of 2019) - soccer player^[14]
• Troy Van Leeuwen (Class of 1986) - Musician