King's Schools

King's was founded in 1950 by Mike and Vivian Martin.{{Cite web|title=Our History|url=https://crista.org/about/our-history/|access-date=2020-06-24|website=CRISTA Ministries}}

98% of King's High School graduates pursue higher education following graduation. The high school offers 11 concurrent college credit courses through a partnership with Northwest University.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

In 2009, King's students took 97 AP examinations.{{Cite web |url=http://www.kingsschools.org/Document.Doc?id=2589 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2011-01-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722062824/http://www.kingsschools.org/Document.Doc?id=2589 |archive-date=2011-07-22 |url-status=dead }}

King's competes at the 1A classification level as part of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. King's has won 54 state championships and 39 academic state championships in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, track & field and volleyball.{{cite web | url=https://kingsschools.org/athletics/ | title=Athletics | King's Schools | Seattle Private Christian School }} Most recently, the Knights have won the 2023 girls' track state championship.{{cite web | url=https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/480083/teamscores | title=Track & Field, Cross Country Results, Statistics }}

In 2005, Sports Illustrated named King's the top high school athletic program in Washington State.{{cite news| url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/magazine/05/11/top.high.map0516/1.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050513220551/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/magazine/05/11/top.high.map0516/1.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=May 13, 2005 | work=CNN | title=SI.com}}

The seven state championships won by the girls' cross country team (2001-2003, 2006-2009) are the most by any school in WIAA history.{{Cite web|url=http://www.jcrawford.net/allstateccmeetresults.html|title=State Xc Results}}

Two-time LPGA tour winner Jimin Kang led the King's girls' golf team to the 1999 state title.{{cite web |url=http://wiaa.com/ |title=Home |website=wiaa.com}}

The school's cheer team won the 2024 USA Spirit Nationals competition.{{cite web | last=Katzman | first=Gabe | title=Shoreline high school cheer team wins national competition | website=KOMO | date=February 21, 2024 | url=https://komonews.com/news/local/cheerleader-cheer-team-national-championship-shoreline-anaheim-usa-spirit-nationals-kings-high-school-private-public-small-crowdleader | access-date=February 23, 2024}}

In September 2019, it was revealed by the Seattle Times that King's Schools (and their parent organization Crista Ministries) had hardened their stance on acceptance of homosexuality at the school.{{Cite web|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/teachers-quit-in-protest-over-what-they-consider-anti-gay-policy-at-christian-school-in-shoreline/|title=Teachers quit in protest over what they consider anti-gay policy at Christian school in Shoreline|date=2019-09-09|website=The Seattle Times|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-10}}

Some teachers believe this policy required them to disavow same-sex relationships, both on the job and in their personal lives.{{Cite web|url=http://komonews.com/news/local/seattle-area-teachers-resign-over-policy-considered-anti-gay|title=Seattle-area teachers resign over policy considered anti-gay|agency=Associated Press|date=2019-09-09|website=KOMO|access-date=2019-09-10}} It further required that they teach that homosexuality is "a result of the failure to worship God," a belief that has little to no biblical support. Once notified of this policy, some teachers left the school.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/teachers-students-leave-king-s-schools-over-anti-gay-religious-beliefs/984585797|title=Teachers, students leave King's Schools over anti-gay religious beliefs|last=Grande|first=Alison|date=2019-09-10|website=KIRO|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-10}} However, non-disclosure agreements prevented many of them from speaking about the issue and the impact on the school.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2019/09/10/christian-kings-high-school-anti-gay-teachers-quitting-facebook/|title=Teachers are quitting a Christian school which teaches children that homosexuality is 'unnatural'|date=2019-09-10|website=PinkNews |language=en-GB|access-date=2019-09-10}} Megan Troutman, an English teacher who left as a result of the new policy, noted that she "cannot, in good faith or conscience, teach in a place that creates policies that negatively impact an entire section of the student population... I could not be complicit in a policy that could harm or ostracize any student."

As a result of these actions, some families left the school because they did not support or did not want to fund an organization they perceived to be discriminatory. It was expected that many more teachers and families would follow suit, raising questions about the direction that doctrinal direction that King's School would take, with many concerned over extreme right-wing influences.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2019/09/christian-school-getting-anti-lgbtq-teachers-quitting/|title=This Christian school is getting more anti-LGBTQ. So teachers are quitting.|last=Bollinger|first=Alex|date=2019-09-09|website=www.lgbtqnation.com|access-date=2019-09-10}} Comments on social media and other platforms indicated an increasing divide between groups supporting King's anti-LGBTQ stance and those opposing it.{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/kingsschoolsisantilgbt/|title=King's Schools is Anti-Lgbt+|last=Facebook|date=|website=www.facebook.com|language=en|access-date=2019-09-10}}{{self-published source|date=July 2023}}{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/FaithFreedomNet/status/1171392904792875010|title=CRISTA Ministries and King's High School Labeled "Anti-Gay"--Teachers Quit|last=Faith and Freedom Net|date=|website=|access-date=}} Much of the blame for the new policy was attributed to Jacinta Tegman, the new CEO of Crista Ministries. Tegman was formerly the executive director of Sound the Alarm, which sought to use political action to repeal gay marriage as well as legal protections for LGBTQ citizens.{{Cite web|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20060524/gayrights24m/effort-to-repeal-state-gay-rights-law-gathers-momentum-from-pulpit|title=Local News {{!}} Effort to repeal state gay-rights law gathers momentum from pulpit|website=community.seattletimes.nwsource.com|access-date=2019-09-10}} Tegman's effort, Referendum 65, ultimately failed as she was unable to obtain enough signatures to place it on the ballot.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/initiatives/statistics_referendummeasures.aspx|title=History of Referendum Measures|author=Washington Secretary of State|website=www.sos.wa.gov|access-date=2019-09-10}}

• Jimin Kang, LPGA golfer
• Corey Kispert (class of 2017), current basketball player for the Washington Wizards.
• Lars Helleren, professional soccer player for the Tacoma Defiance.

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.kingsschools.org King's Schools]

{{CRISTA Ministries}}

{{WIAA Northwest District 1|A|Mixed}}

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Category:Private elementary schools in Washington (state)

Category:Private middle schools in Washington (state)

Category:High schools in King County, Washington

Category:Schools in Seattle

Category:Private high schools in Washington (state)

Category:1950 establishments in Washington (state)

Category:Educational institutions established in 1950