About Us

Who We Are

Bishop Adventist Christian School is part of the world-wide Seventh-day Adventist educational system, which is the second-largest Christian school system in the world, after the Catholic system. The church supports holistic education: “Mental, physical, social, and spiritual health, intellectual growth, and service to humanity form a core of values that are essential aspects of the Adventist education philosophy”. The local district/conference is located in Reno, Nevada which supports schools in Nevada, Utah, and parts of California.

History

As Bishop and the Owens Valley are steeped in history, Bishop Adventist Christian School is no different. The Bishop Seventh-day Adventist Church got its start in 1903 when Mr. Nim Newlon bought lumber, which he hauled in by team and wagon from Laws Railroad with the help of his friend, Mr. Anderson. He deeded a city lot, on what is now known as Grove Street, to the church, and the first Adventist church in the Owens Valley was built. In September 1905, the school was born. A very young girl, Miss Higley, arrived in this strange, little mining town from Bellingham, Washington to teach 10 pupils for $20 a month. Two of those pupils later became doctors – Dr. John Bulpitt and his sister, Dr. Harriett Bulpitt Randall. The church folks brought in fresh vegetables and other foods from their ranches to supplement the young teacher’s salary.

Around 1921 the school closed for a few years, as many families had sold their property, homes, and ranches to the City of Los Angeles and moved out of the Valley. There were very few children left to attend school and very little money with which to pay a teacher’s salary. However, God blessed, and the school reopened after a few years. When the roof caught fire in 1953, the building was condemned and sold. Later that year, the church and school were rebuilt on its current location on Home Street.

BACS Suspension

While the school has suspended operations for the 2025-2026 school year, the school board is conducting a feasibility study to determine the interest in reopening the school for the 2026-2027 school year. To share your interest please scan the QR code below.