Hawaii Baptist Academy

{{Short description|Protestant Christian school in Honolulu, US}}

{{Infobox school

|image = Hawaiibaptistacademylogo.jpg

|image_size = 125px

|caption = The Hawai{{okina}}i Baptist Academy seal.

|name = Hawai{{okina}}i Baptist Academy

|streetaddress = 2429 Pali Highway

|city = Honolulu

|state = Hawai{{okina}}i

|zipcode = 96817

|country = USA

|religion = Southern Baptist Convention

|established = 1949

|gender = Coeducational

|type = Protestant Christian

|grades = Kindergarten to 12th

|campus type = Urban

|motto = "Christ For Every Nation"

|accreditation = Western Association of Schools and Colleges

|mascot = The Eagle: "Endurance"

|school_colors = Gold, Black, White {{Color box|#fdd700}}{{Color box|#000000}}{{Color box|#ffffff}}

|yearbook = The Light

|newspaper = Eagle Eye

|free_label = Distinctions

|free_text = One of the largest Protestant Christian schools in Hawai{{okina}}i.

|homepage = [http://www.hba.net Hawaii Baptist Academy]

}}

Hawaii Baptist Academy (HBA) is a private, co-educational, college preparatory primary and secondary Christian school that serves grades K-12 on three campuses. The school is governed by a board of directors elected by the executive board of the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention, an affiliate of the Southern Baptist Convention.{{cite web|title=About HBA|url=https://www.hba.net/about|website=Hawaii Baptist Academy|publisher=Hawaii Baptist Academy|access-date=6 March 2018}}

History

In 1944 the Woman's Missionary Union of Virginia pledged $125,000 toward a school in Hawaii.{{cite book|title=Hawaii Baptist Academy Catalogue-Handbook 1986–1987|page=3}} The Southern Baptist Convention Foreign Mission Board{{cite news|title=Wilkes Couples Tour Hawaiian Baptist Academy's Facilities |url=http://www.news-reporter.com/news/2007-03-29/News/057.html|access-date=4 June 2010|newspaper=The News-Reporter|date=29 March 2007}} began the school in 1947, assigning Southern Baptist Convention missionaries Hugh P. and Mary McCormick to carry out the project.

The school opened in 1949 in surplus Army barracks on a parcel of land purchased at 1234 Heulu Street in Makiki with thirty-six seventh and eighth grade students. It graduated its first students in 1954. The school was transferred to the Hawaii Baptist Convention{{cite news|title=Hawaii Pastor to Talk Sunday|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=syIsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=28YEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2948,2616278&dq=hawaii+baptist+academy&hl=en|access-date=4 June 2010|newspaper=Florence Times – Tri-Cities Dailies|date=14 September 1973}} in 1960. Formerly located near Roosevelt High School in Makiki, it moved to its present location in Nu{{okina}}uanu Valley in Honolulu in 1975. In 1987, the elementary school was moved to a second campus one half of a mile away. Hawaii Baptist Academy is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and is the largest Baptist school in the state.

Before relocating to the current Middle and High School campus in Nu{{okina}}uanu, HBA held court for some time at Makiki Christian Church.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hba.net/about/timeline|title=History - Hawaii Baptist Academy|website=www.hba.net|language=en-US|access-date=2018-10-31}}

In 1972, the governing body of the Southern Baptist churches authorized purchase of the 9000 sq. ft. Robertson Estate on the Pali Highway for $553,000.{{Cite book |last=Hicks |first=Brenda |title=The Power Of Your Love: A history of Hawaii Baptist Academy: First 50 years |publisher=The Academy |year=1999 |page=47 |language=en}} Dan Kong resigned his ministry at Olivet Baptist Church in order to become Vice President and Development Director of the school in 1973. In order to raise funding for the purchase, Kong and Hawaii Baptist Academy president Stan Sagert began a fund raising tour among potential mainland donars and institutions.{{cite news |title=Daniel H.C. Kong |last=Ohira |first=Rod |newspaper=Honolulu Advertiser|date=18 March 2005 |url=http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Mar/18/ln/ln39p.html}} By 1977, they had created the Mainland Advisory Council.{{cite news|title=Shorter College Graduation Students|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YaQkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Kz4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6917,2614051&dq=hawaii+baptist+academy&hl=en|access-date=4 June 2010|newspaper=The Rockmart Journal|date=13 May 1981}}{{Cite web| title=MAC| publisher=HBA| url=http://www.hbaeagles.org/giving| access-date=24 May 2010| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090514062500/http://www.hbaeagles.org/giving| archive-date=14 May 2009}} HBA Overall, mainland contributions have accounted for 70 percent of campus building costs.{{Citation needed|reason=completely unsupported by references|date=March 2018}}

The Nu{{okina}}uanu Campus, now called the Stan Sagert Campus, welcomed its first students in 1975 with the class of 1976 being the first to graduate from the new campus. The elementary campus shared grounds with Central Baptist Church until it moved to the former Sacred Hearts Convent in Nu{{okina}}uanu. HBA also had a small elementary campus in Nānākuli (West O{{okina}}ahu), located at Nānākuli Baptist Church. This campus was relocated to property in Wai{{okina}}anae in the mid-1980s, where it remained until it was eventually closed in 1997. {{Citation needed|reason=entire paragraph completely unsupported by references|date=March 2018}}

Current

In 2006, HBA opened the Dan Kong Middle School Campus, adjacent to the current high school campus and named in honor of Dan Kong, former president of Hawaii Baptist Academy and pastor of various churches around the island, including First Baptist Church of Wahiawa, Olivet Baptist Church, and Central Baptist Church. He helped form organizations such as the Mainland Advisory Council, which consists of donors from the U.S. mainland.{{Citation needed|reason=unsubstantiated|date=March 2018}}

The middle school campus consists of 14 classrooms, a computer lab, two specially equipped science classrooms, and a multi-purpose room for middle school students. The HBA Middle School Campus was designed by the firm of Walters, Kimura, Motoda and it has been noted to be a LEED gold facility since it was designed to be environmental friendly and sustainable.{{Cite web| title=Walter S Kimura| publisher=HBA| url=http://www.walterskimuramotoda.com/hba.html| access-date=24 May 2010| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305141352/http://www.walterskimuramotoda.com/hba.html| archive-date=5 March 2012}}

Since 1997, HBA has operated under a modified school calendar, with two-week breaks in October, December, and March, and a two-month summer break in June and July.{{Citation needed|reason=unsubstantiated|date=March 2018}}

Beginning with the 2007–08 school year, a uniform dress standard with school-endorsed polo shirts, skirts, and pants was instituted. The original uniform polo shirts were embroidered with "HBA" on the left sleeve, and were available in black, white, green, and yellow. The uniforms were updated in the 2016-17 school year with the removal of the embroidered letters, the elimination of green and yellow polo shirts, and the addition of a large school logo on the left breast.{{cite web|last1=Clark|first1=Aimee|title=HBA Debuts New Uniforms|url=https://hbaeagleeye.com/hba-debuts-new-uniforms/|website=Eagle Eye|publisher=Hawaii Baptist Academy|access-date=6 March 2018}}

Hawaii Baptist Academy's middle school robotics team placed fifth out of 104 middle school teams in the 2011 VEX Robotics World Championships in Orlando held April 14 to 16. Three of the top five teams in the Orlando championship came from China. In third place was a team from Arizona.{{Cite web|title=Hawaii Baptist's robotics team places fifth in VEX world championships | publisher=Star Advertiser| url=http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/122554853.html| access-date=24 May 2011}}

In 2017, eighth grader Logan Kakugawa won the Hawaii State Geographic Bee and represented the state of Hawaii at the national competition in Washington, D.C.{{Cite web|title=2017 National Geographic State Bee Champions Announced | publisher=National Geographic| url=https://www.nationalgeographic.org/newsroom/2017-national-geographic-state-bee-champions-announced/| access-date=20 June 2018}} During the same year, the high school's Mock Trial team celebrated their first state championship.{{Cite web|title=Dedication nabs first mock trial state title | publisher=Star Advertiser| url=http://www.staradvertiser.com/2017/04/25/hawaii-news/incidental-lives/dedication-nabs-first-mock-trial-state-title/| access-date=20 June 2018}}

Campuses

The Richard Bento, Dan Kong, and Stan Sagert campuses house the elementary, middle, and high schools, respectively. The digital school is headquartered on the high school campus. The administrative headquarters are in a separate location.{{cite web|url=https://www.hba.net/about/contact-us|title=Contact Us|publisher=Hawaii Baptist Academy|access-date=2020-10-08|quote=Elementary School, Richard Bento Campus 21 Bates Street Honolulu, HI 96817 [...] Middle School, Dan Kong Campus 2425 Pali Highway Honolulu, HI 96817 [...] High School, Stan Sagert Campus 2429 Pali Highway Honolulu, HI 96817 [...] Digital School, Office 2429 Pali Highway Honolulu, HI 96817 [...] Office of the President (Administrative Offices) 420 Wyllie Street Honolulu, HI 96817}} All campuses are in the Honolulu census-designated place.{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/GUBlock/st15_hi/place/p1571550_urban_honolulu/DC10BLK_P1571550_000.pdf|title=2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP (INDEX): Urban Honolulu CDP, HI|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=2020-10-08}}

Scandals

In 2009, Jeremy Ryan Duffer, who had been previously employed by HBA as a part-time Bible teacher, was arrested in Virginia and accused of multiple counts of consensual sex with a juvenile.{{cite news|last1=Allen|first1=Bob|title=Jailed former pastor cited 'passion' for working with youth|url=https://baptistnews.com/article/jailed-former-pastor-cited-passion-for-working-with-youth/#.Wp5aYOjwZPa|access-date=6 March 2018|work=Associated Baptist Press|publisher=Baptist News Global}} Duffer subsequently pleaded guilty in 2010 to one count of an indecent act with a child as well as eight counts of aggravated sexual battery, and is currently serving a 17 year sentence.{{cite news|last1=Allen|first1=Bob|title=Former youth pastor sentenced to 17 years for abuse|url=https://baptistnews.com/article/former-youth-pastor-sentenced-to-17-years-for-abuse/#.Wp5bNOjwZPY|access-date=6 March 2018|work=Associated Baptist Press|publisher=Baptist News Global|date=2010}} HBA President Richard Bento remarked that Duffer's arrest was "shocking," and that he was personally unaware of any suspicions or allegations against Duffer at the time of his employment with the school.

In 2012, Hawaii News Now reported that a male teacher at HBA had allegedly engaged in sexual relations with a 17 year old male senior student. According to the report, one sexual encounter was alleged to have occurred at Pu'u Kahea Conference Center, a camping facility in Waianae at which students from grades 7 through 12 spend time annually. The teacher, who had been employed for two years, resigned due to the allegations. The report notes that HBA maintains a strict religious code of conduct that explicitly forbids homosexual behavior as "sexually immoral."{{cite news|title=Private school teacher resigns after allegations he had sex with male student|url=http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/18629761/private-school-teacher-resigns-after-allegations-he-had-sex-with-male-student|access-date=6 March 2018|work=Hawaii News Now|publisher=Raycom Media|date=2012}}

Presidents

+ Hugh P. McCormick
Stanley A. Sagert (1970–1987)
Ronald D. Boggs (1987–1988)
Daniel H. C. Kong (1988–1993)
Richard T. Bento (1993–2016)
Ronald Shiira (2016–Present){{cite web|title=Meet President Ron Shiira|url=https://www.hba.net/page.cfm?p=5278|website=Hawaii Baptist Academy|publisher=Hawaii Baptist Academy|access-date=6 March 2018}}

+ Title of Superintendent was changed to President during Stanley A. Sagert's leadership.

References

External links

[http://www.hba.net/ Hawaii Baptist Academy Official Website]
[http://hbaeagleeye.com/ Eagle Eye student-run news website]
[http://www.pkcc.org/ Pu'u Kahea Conference Center Website] Archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20180306202451/http://www.pkcc.org/ here]

Category:1949 establishments in Hawaii

Category:Baptist schools in the United States

Category:Christian schools in Hawaii

Category:Educational institutions established in 1949

Category:Private K–12 schools in Honolulu