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Forest Hills Facts

Here are some of the facts about Forest Hills, from the current fact sheet:

• Mission: “Building the Kingdom of God through Christian Education”
• Vision: “To be a regional leader in Christian education recognized for excellence in all things - whose students are compassionate citizens and bold examples of a vibrant faith.”

Ownership and Governance

• Forest Hills Lutheran School is owned and operated by the Westside Lutheran School Association which was established in 1994 by eight LC-MS congregations in the western suburban area of Portland, Oregon.
• Seven congregations presently comprise the WLSA: Bethlehem, Aloha; Trinity, Hillsboro; Zion, Hillsboro; Our Redeemer, Tigard; Prince of Peace, Beaverton; Mt. Olive, Forest Grove; St. Peter’s, Cornelius.
• The WLSA is administered through the Delegate Assembly which meets several times during the year and elects a Board of Directors which meets monthly and is served by the Executive Director/Principal who is in charge of staff and program.

History

• Forest Hills was established and opened its doors to 48 students in September, 1994. The buildings and campus were formerly occupied by residents of Good Shepherd Home of the West.
• A purchase agreement with Good Shepherd was consummated in 2000.
• The school has grown to 165 students, grades K-8 in 2010.
• Full accreditation was awarded to Forest Hills by the National Lutheran School Accreditation agency in 2003. A year later the school was accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools. Both accreditations continue to be active.

Property and Facilities

• Forest Hills is located six miles southwest of Hillsboro, and just north of the Forest Hills Golf Course in Washington County, Oregon.
• The school operates from a 12-acre campus next door to St. Peter’s Lutheran Church.
• Facilities include seven major buildings, an outdoor athletic field and covered walkways connecting the campus.
• The Dobbin Center was completed in 2002, thanks to a generous gift by Vincent and Elaine Dobbin. This building houses a full gym, music room, locker rooms and restrooms.
• The Main Building houses a library and computer lab, offices, kindergarten and first grade classrooms.
• Multiage and grades 2-4, the Art Space and the After School Care rooms are housed in the Primary Building. Grades 5-8 and a science lab are in the Upper Grades Building.
• The kitchen/dining hall is in a newly-renovated building.
• The Oregon Child Development Coalition leases a classroom building for use in two of their seasonal programs.
• The shop and maintenance facility utilize the former swimming pool building.

Finances

• Forest Hills has an annual budget of nearly $1 million dollars. Income is received from tuition and fees paid by parents, congregational support, individual gifts and rental income from the leased classroom building.
• The school benefits from two endowment funds established for financial aid and for facility maintenance respectively. Their total value is over $1 million dollars.
• The school has a mortgage debt of $300,000 owing to construction of the Dobbin Center in 2002.
• Congregations support the enrollment of their member families with some tuition assistance.
• The true cost of education for the current school year is $6900 per student and the average tuition is $5029. Tuition assistance is provided to all students to make up the “gap” with income from various development efforts providing income.
• Financial aid is available upon application, based on need.

Faculty and Staff

• Ten full-time teachers comprise the teaching staff, with each responsible for one classroom, K-8.
• All teachers hold at least a Baccalaureate degree in education. Five hold a Master’s Degree.
• Part-time teachers assist with music, library, computers, and physical education.
• A part-time Development Director is responsible for student admissions and financial development.
• The faculty salary schedule is based upon the Northwest District, LC-MS, recommendations.
• The faculty average for years of experience is 22 years. The average length of service to Forest Hills is about six years.
• A volunteer Grandpas Club meets weekly to assist with repairs and facility maintenance.

Program

• Kindergarten is a full day program.
• Grades K-5 are self-contained classrooms. Grades 6-8 are departmentalized in Christian Studies, Language Arts, Science, Math and Social Studies.
• A multiage K-2 classroom was opened in 2008-09 to offer a mixed-age grouping style of instruction for interested families.
• Curricular materials are chosen on the basis of their proven effectiveness and their compatibility with the philosophy of the school.
• A varied program of elective classes are offered to grades 6-8. Students in these grades also have choices in the fine arts area.
• Band, choir and handbells are offered to students of grades 4-8.
• Extracurricular sports include volleyball, cheerleading and basketball, soccer and track for boys and girls of grades 5-8. The school is a member of the Metro Christian League.
• Students of grades 3-8 are tested for achievement using the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. Percentile scores are reported to parents.
  Forest Hills is a “Leader in Me” school. Students and staff will be integrating the “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” into instruction and school life in the 2010-11 school year.
• Enrollment is open to all on a nondiscriminatory basis. Returning students and members of Association congregation are given priority for openings. The application process includes a family interview with administration/faculty.
• Before and After School Care are available every school day.  The program is operated by Vermont Hills Childcare.
• Spanish instruction is being integrated into the instructional program for all students, grades K-8.
• Hot lunches are cooked and served daily by a paid lunch staff with assistance from parent volunteers.

Family Information

• About 1/3 of the families are Lutheran and members of one of the WLSA congregations. Another 1/3 are members of a Christian church and 1/3 have no active church involvement.
• All families are asked to give 25 hours of service to the school as part of the VIP (Very Important Participation) program.
• Parents assist in the lunchroom, library, athletic programs, fine arts, classrooms, on field trips and in many other facets of the school’s program.
• The school is multicultural and serves a variety of ethnic backgrounds.
• Most families live in Forest Grove, Cornelius, or Hillsboro. Some live in surrounding rural and suburban areas including Aloha and Beaverton.
• All students come to school in private vehicles or carpools.