History
The history of Pusch Ridge Christian Academy dates back to December 22, 1958. On this date Charles William Egleston (1895–1965) and his wife Anna Kehr Egleston (1898–1997) donated 65 acres (260,000 m2) of pristine desert property in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains at the base of Pusch Ridge to Palo Verde Baptist Church of North Tucson. Mr. and Mrs. Egleston gifted Palo Verde their largest and most valuable real estate holding to be used "for religious and educational purposes only," with a firm vision that the property would support a school grounded in Christian values and faith.
The property was subdivided in late 1977 for the establishment of Canyon del Oro Baptist Church on the southern 16 acres (65,000 m2) of the land. The other 49 acres (200,000 m2) remained undeveloped through 1982, when Max Wilford, the president of the Palo Verde Christian School Board directed the commencement of construction on the Egleston property. Mr. Wilford desired to relocate Palo Verde Christian School from its location in Tucson to the property in Oro Valley.
In the fall of 1994, Palo Verde Christian High School opened its doors on the Egleston property in Oro Valley. This new location was effectively the middle & high schools, serving grades 6-12, while grades K-5 remained at the Palo Verde Baptist Church property in Tucson. Due to financial difficulties, by early 2000, the school was struggling to remain solvent. It was at that time that the leadership of Catalina Foothills Church, PCA, desired to open a Christian high school. Through the leadership of David Mehl and other members of the Catalina Foothills Church community, ownership of the school transferred from Palo Verde Baptist Church to Catalina Foothills in early 2000. In February 2000, Pusch Ridge Christian Academy was officially established on the Egleston property, and all outstanding loans of the former Palo Verde Christian School were paid back in full. The main entrance to the Pusch Ridge campus and Canyon del Oro Baptist from North Oracle Road is named Egleston Memorial Drive in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Egleston, and North Egleston Drive running just east of the nearby James D. Kriegh Park also honors Mr. and Mrs. Egleston.
Pusch Ridge currently has a high school enrollment of nearly 300 students and has recently expanded its campus.
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