On March 10, 1968, the United Baptist Church voted to purchase classrooms of the old McKinley School that had been condemned for a freeway in the amount of $6,300. The building was worth about $150,000 new and was about eight years old at the time. On June 9 of the same year, the church voted to authorize the formation of a Christian Day School beginning with a kindergarten in September. Cherie Noel became the first principal and teacher of the United Baptist School in 1968. Cherie began the school with just ten students the first year. As the first school year continued, additional buildings were purchased to make room for more classroom space for the growing church and school ministries. The school quickly grew to over one hundred students that next year and began to include kindergarten through sixth grade. In 1971, the Liberty Christian High School was added, and the school became Liberty Christian Schools in 1977, and the name was finally changed to Liberty Baptist School in September 1980. Liberty Baptist School currently continues as a ministry of the Liberty Baptist Church under the leadership of Stan Smith as the pastor of the church and Russell Barnes as the principal and administrator of the school.
Mission
The Mission statement of the Liberty Baptist School is as follows: "The mission of Liberty Baptist School is to prepare students to serve the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping them with spiritual, academic, and leadership tools necessary to be "light" and "salt" in this present world." Liberty Baptist School maintains that the Bible is the final authority for every matter of "faith and practice." This means that all other textbooks are considered to be supplements to the Bible and are evaluated by their adherence to the principles and truths contained in the Bible, and that the conduct, attitude, speech, and achievement of every student and faculty member of Liberty Baptist School is evaluated according to the principles of God's Word. Liberty emphasizes training young people in the principles of leadership, character, self-discipline, responsibility, integrity, and good citizenship. Liberty Baptist School strives to reach out to the local community by admitting students from non-Christian families on a space-available basis. The program of Liberty Baptist School emphasizes:
A scripturally-based program of Christian character training and discipline.
A consistent, clear presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, to the end that every student comes to know Jesus as Lord and Savior and embrace a lifestyle consistent with scriptural truth.
A love for and loyalty toward America and the Biblical principles upon which our country was founded.
An academically advanced college preparatory education.
A fine arts program designed to assist each student develop his or her special gifts and talents for the glory of the Lord, and to appreciate music, art, and other fine arts disciplines that glorify God.
A physical education program that stresses physical fitness, teamwork, and a Christian attitude in every sports and athletic endeavor.
The expected school-wide learning results
Liberty Baptist School intends that all students would meet the following criteria:
E- Effective Communicators, who can demonstrate a high level of written and verbal skills necessary for working effectively.
A- Academic Achievers, who are able to pursue their college and career goals.
G- Godly in Character, demonstrated by a recognition of God as the Creator, the Author of truth and the development of a Christian world view.
L- Leaders, who are problem solvers, with moral strength, discernment and responsible citizenship built around a Christian world view.
E- Extracurricular Minded, who contribute their time, energy and talents to improve the quality of life in our school and community, and respond to the needs of others.
Music program
Liberty Baptist offers musical instruction at the elementary and secondary levels. Students begin learning instruments and receive vocal instruction from a very early age. Students also perform in a number of public settings throughout the year and also host various concerts at the school. School music groups are featured annually in Downtown San Jose, CA at Christmas in the Park and various other venues. Since Liberty Baptist School is a member of the Golden State Association of Christian Schools and the American Association of Christian Schools, students are able to compete at various fine arts competitions.
Athletics
The mascot of the Liberty Baptist School is the Eagle. The school athletic program seeks to educate students to pursue athletic excellence while maintaining integrity and demonstrating Christian character. the school offers physical education on the elementary and secondary grade levels. Also, students may compete in ladies' volleyball, ladies and men's basketball, and ladies' softball. Students compete with other schools in the Pacific School Athletic League
