Rehoboth Christian School was started by missionaries from the Christian Reformed Church who came to the Southwestern United States in 1896 to bring the Gospel to the Navajo and Zuni people. The 320-acres former Smith's Ranch, six miles east of Gallup, New Mexico, was purchased in 1903 by the CRC Board of Missions. The new mission was named Rehoboth, referring to Genesis 26:22, and was opened in December 1903, with six Navajo children, ranging in ages 5 – 11 as its first students. By 1917, there were 100 students, and by the end of the 1940s a high school was added. Today Rehoboth has over 450 students in grades Pre K-12. In the 1970s, the CRC Board of Missions began to reduce its control and financial support for the school with responsibility resting on a local school board largely made up of Native American parents. The school’s name was changed from Rehoboth Mission School to Rehoboth Christian School. In the 1990s, the dormitories were closed and an extensive bus transportation system was developed so children living within a 60-mile radius could attend Rehoboth Christian School.
Campus
The entire campus is approximately in size. Technology: 3 networked computer labs, 7 smart board classrooms, mounted projectors in 8 elementary classrooms and all high school classrooms, 1 mobile laptop lab, wireless internet access. New high school facilities, built in 2018 HS/MS Library: 14,000 titles, magazine subscriptions, digital catalogue search Sports and Fitness Center: weight room, 2 full size basketball courts, turf soccer field and rubberized track. There is a Navajo Code Talkers Communication Center. The gym is equipped with a ropes course, and indoor and outdoor climbing walls The school includes half of the Calvin-Rehoboth Robotic Observatory, equipped with a Meade Instruments 10’ LX200 telescope with digital camera Rehoboth's dormitories, apartments and RV park are available for short and long term volunteers and guests.
Students
The Rehoboth Christian School student body consists of 67% Native American students, 23% Anglo students, and 10% students of other ethnic minority backgrounds. More than 13 denominations are represented at Rehoboth, including Christian Reformed, Baptists, and Catholic churches. Total enrollment for the 2011–2012 school year is 497 students in grades PreK-12. Recent student honors include:
Chief Manuelito Scholars:
Daniel’s Scholarship
Gallup Rotary
Gates Millennium Scholars.
Faculty
37 full-time teaching staff members and 5 part-time staff members.
Accreditation
Rehoboth Christian School is accredited by CSI.
Extracurricular activities
21st Century After-School Program: Over 200 students from Rehoboth and nearby Church Rock Elementary attend this federally funded after-school enrichment program, including tutoring and sport programs. Activities include choir, school band and sports. In 2010, 10 students made the All State choir. The high school choir has toured California, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Mississippi, Louisiana, Germany, and Canada. The high school band toured the Pacific Northwest and California in 2011, and toured Texas, Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota in 2013.
