The History of Orcas Christian School

Orcas Christian School was founded in 1999 through the vision of members of the Orcas Adventist church family and the Orcas Community to provide a quality Christian education for the Orcas Island Community. The school began with an elementary building, two teachers, and an opening enrollment of 22 students. The school expanded and added grades 9 and 10 in 2001, with an opening enrollment of 56 students.

In 2002, the school board determined that a need existed for higher grades. An application was filed with the North American Division for full senior High School status and the school boasted an opening enrollment of over 80 students.

As the school expanded offerings, additional buildings were added to the campus including a chapel, senior high school building, full-sized gymnasium, and a junior high building. The buildings are designed for a variety of curriculum delivery systems and learning opportunities. Computers and technology are included in each classroom. In 2010, the high school piloted its iPad program, where 90% of all school work was done using iPads as a tool. For the 2025-26 school year, OCS made the switch to Dell Laptops for all students and staff.