Our Deep Hope

At Escondido Christian School, our deep hope—and daily prayer—is to partner with families in cultivating resilient, virtuous, and courageous students who are equipped to think rightly, love truthfully, and live faithfully for the glory of God.

We pray for our students to grow in wisdom and delight in God’s Word, becoming young men and women who love what is true, do what is good, and cherish what is beautiful. We pray they will stand firm in a shifting world, speak truth, and live with unshakable courage—joyfully bearing witness to Christ and His kingdom with humility, conviction, and boldness.

The Spiritual Heritage of ECS

In 1930, Escondido Christian Church (ECC) was established, and in 1946, its education program, Escondido Christian School (ECS) began under the guidance of Pastor Thompson and his wife Evelyn. As the school grew, the need for space became evident. During a prayerful search for a new location, Sister Thompson felt led by God to a plot of land on Valley Parkway. This land was owned by a wealthy Dutch dairyman who, after encountering Sister Thompson, generously donated the land for the church and its school. This act of kindness led to the construction of a new facility, and the dairyman himself recommitted his life to Christ, remaining
faithful until his passing at 102 years old.

Both the church and school eventually faced growth challenges on East Valley Parkway and sought a new location. While driving past Ash Street, the pastor at that time, Harold Woods, discovered a spacious plot of land with lime groves that seemed perfect for their needs. However, he was confronted by the landowners who initially refused to sell. Upon hearing the purpose for which the land was needed, the couple agreed to sell it to Escondido Christian at a remarkably low price. By 1975, 33,000 square feet of usable facilities were constructed on the current property (Ash and Idaho), completely debt-free.

Under the leadership of Dr. Coleman Phillips, the church and school expanded its property by acquiring five additional acres to the south, extending the property all the way to 17th Avenue (Felicita Ave.), and securing sewer rights for the entire property. Between 1982 and 1993, the facilities were expanded to over 63,000 usable square feet. Despite these expansions, we are once again needing more space.

After the confusion and cultural convulsions associated with COVID, wave after wave of growth from families seeking a Christ-centered learning environment for their children has left Escondido Christian out of facility space. We’ve made the most of our existing, yet aging buildings, but we now sense a calling from God to innovate and expand in order to meet the current and future demands of PS-12th grade Christian education.