Portland Adventist Academy

Infobox Private School
background = #f0f6fa (standard color)
border = #ccd2d9 (standard color)
name = Portland Adventist Academy


motto = Christ Centered - Character Driven
established = 1910
type = Secondary School
religion = Seventh-day Adventist Church
rel_head_name =
rel_head =
head_name = Principal
head = Gale Crosby
city = Portland
state = Oregon
country = USA
coordinates =
campus =
enrollment = Mid 200s
faculty =
class =
ratio =
year =
patron =
SAT =
ACT =
athletics = Basketball, Soccer, Golf, Tennis, Volleyball, Rock Climbing, and Cross-Country
athletic director = Lance Judd
colors = Blue and gold
mascot = Cougars
conference = Oregon School Activities Association
homepage = www.paasda.org
ceeb =

Portland Adventist Academy (PAA) is a private high school located in Portland, Oregon, United States operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The school was founded in 1910, and was previously known as Portland Union Academy, serving grades 1-12, but the name changed when the elementary section became its own school, Portland Adventist Elementary School, during a period of rapid growth in the mid 70s and finally splitting in 1975. During the process, the high school section was renamed Portland Adventist Academy.

The school serves grades 9 through 12.

OSAA legal proceedings

In 1996, Portland Adventist's boys basketball team qualified for the the state tournament operated by the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA). [http://www.publications.ojd.state.or.us/A117678.htm "Montgomery v. Board of Education",] 188 Ore. App. 63, 71 P.3d 94 (2003) Oregon Judicial Department.] The school requested the OSAA allow the team to avoid playing a game during the Sabbath for their religion which runs from sundown on Friday until sundown of Saturday. The OSAA granted the request for scheduling Friday games of the tournament, but informed Portland Adventist that they could not change the schedule for Saturday games and the school would need to forfeit a Saturday game if needed. Portland Adventist won their Friday game and was able to play on Saturday after sundown and won the state championship for the 2A division. The OSAA then received complaints from other schools and later refused to accommodate Portland Adventist in later tournaments.

In 2000, Portland Adventist students and parents filed a discrimination complaint against the OSAA with the Oregon State Board of Education.cite news |url= http://www.kgw.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8V2R8B00.html |author= Associated Press |publisher= KGW |title= Oregon court injunction allows Adventist to play in 3A tourney |date= February 27, 2008 |accessdate= 2008-09-19] Oregon Superintendent of Public Instruction Stan Bunn denied the appeal for the State Board of Education in February 2002. The school then asked for judicial review of the State Board of Education's decision that the OSAA did not unlawfully discriminate against Portland Adventist's religious beliefs.cite journal|last=Hart|first=Laurie|date=June 5, 2003|title=Montgomery v. Board of Education|journal=Willamette Law Online|publisher=Willamette University College of Law|issue=Oregon Court of Appeals: 2003-21|url=http://www.willamette.edu/wucl/journals/wlo/oregon/appeals/03cases/20030605.htm] In June 2003, the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the school and sent the case back to the State Board to reconsider the school's request.

The OSAA then reconsidered Portland Adventist's request to not schedule games on their Sabbath.cite journal|last=Camac|first=Karla|date=March 15, 2006|title=Nakashima v. Board of Education|journal=Willamette Law Online|publisher=Willamette University College of Law|issue=Oregon Court of Appeals: 2006-10|url=http://www.willamette.edu/wucl/journals/wlo/oregon/appeals/06cases/20060315.htm#3] The OSAA determined the request was too much of a hardship, and the State School Board agreed, denying Portland Adventist's request once again. The school again sought court review, and the Oregon Court of Appeals again agreed with the school in a March 2006 decision. [ [http://www.publications.ojd.state.or.us/A123878.htm "Nakashima v. Bd. of Educ.",] 204 Ore. App. 535, 131 P.3d 749 (2006) Oregon Judicial Department.] In June 2006, the court again rejected the OSAA's arguments and found the OSAA's denial in violation of Or. Rev. Stat. § 659.850(2). [cite journal|last=Kelly|first=Spencer D.|date=June 28, 2006|title=Nakashima v. Board of Education|journal=Willamette Law Online|publisher=Willamette University College of Law|issue=Oregon Court of Appeals: 2006-24|url=http://www.willamette.edu/wucl/journals/wlo/oregon/appeals/06cases/20060628.htm] On December 5, 2006, the Oregon Supreme Court took the case on an appeal from the OSAA. ["Nakashima v. Board of Education", 342 Ore. 116; 149 P.3d 138 (2006) Oregon Judicial Department.]

During the 2007–2008 season, a number of students and parents filed a motion for temporary relief that was granted by a Multnomah County circuit court judge. The Oregon Supreme Court denied the OSAA's appeal from the temporary relief on February 15, 2008. A decision by the Supreme Court from the ongoing legal battle was announced on May 8, 2008, in which the court affirmed the Court of Appeals and sent the case back to the State Board of Education to review the OSAA's decision using the correct legal guidelines. [ [http://www.publications.ojd.state.or.us/S054156.htm "Nakashima v. Bd. of Educ.",] 344 Or. 497 (2008) Oregon Judicial Department.] cite web |url= http://www.aclu-or.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Lit_tp_nak&JServSessionIdr001=ry4255bdt1.app1b |publisher= American Civil Liberties Union |title= Student Athletes Prevail in Religious Discrimination Case Against OSAA |accessdate= 2008-09-19] [cite journal|last=Rothboeck|first=Justin|date=May 8, 2008|title=Nakashima v. Board of Education|journal=Willamette Law Online|publisher=Willamette University College of Law|issue=Supreme Court of Oregon: 2008 - 14|url=http://www.willamette.edu/wucl/journals/wlo/oregon/supreme/08cases/20080508.html#1] The decision was written by justice Virginia Linder.

Reconstruction

The Main Building on Campus was built in the 60s and is now suffering the effects of age. Efforts are now underway to fundraise for the construction of new facilities.

The School began thinking about reconstruction when it received word that TriMet's MAX system was to be extended to Clackamas Town Center [ List of Max Stations on the I-205 Corridor http://trimet.org/i205/stations.htm] , with a station right by the entrance of the school [ List of Max Stations on the I-205 Corridor http://trimet.org/i205/stations.htm] . This began the school talking about other development plans [http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=117071548839202000] out of the need for a solution for tighter campus security from the heightened crime and unwanted visitor potential, the school looked at a few options. They knew that they had to move the gate from SE 96th Ave (the street with the future MAX station) [ List of Max Stations on the I-205 Corridor http://trimet.org/i205/stations.htm] , to another street along the south border: SE Market Street. With this, the school also looked into either remodeling, or reconstruction. Both options were expensive and tedious. It would be harder to outfit the building up to code and to further the structure's soundness than to just rebuild all together.

In the current plan, the existing Gym and "Tech Building" will stay, with remodeling, while new classrooms, offices, and chapel will be apart of the new main building. Part of the unused land will than be developed and used for offices for rent along Main Street, one the north side of the campus. The proposed new building will be state of the art, and house at least twice as many students as the current facility.

ee also

*List of Seventh-day Adventist academies and elementary schools‎

References

External links

* [http://www.aclu-or.org/site/DocServer/Nakashima_timeline_May2008.pdf?docID=3141 Nakashima Case Timeline] from the American Civil Liberties Union