Our Early Years

American Heritage School opened its doors on August 31, 1970, with 85 students and Alan Keith as the first principal. The early faculty—including Shirley Andersen, Glenna Peterson, Mabel Barlow, Velma Keith, and Geneve Cornell—gave extraordinary devotion to the school’s mission. Teachers were often paid only after expenses were covered, and sometimes not at all. In acts of quiet sacrifice, faculty would share what little salary they received with colleagues who needed it more. Their commitment was never about compensation—it was about enlightening children’s hearts and minds.

Resources were scarce, but ingenuity and providence supplied the need. When Mrs. Andersen’s sister discovered textbooks being discarded in Phoenix, the Andersens drove a trailer across states to rescue them. Many were nearly new, covering multiple grade levels and subjects. The founders often found these older texts to carry more character and enduring truths than newer curricula, reinforcing the school’s mission to preserve a Christian heritage in education.

This spirit of faith and perseverance also found voice in music. Shortly after the school’s opening, teacher and musician David Skousen composed Children of Liberty, a hymn that became both the official school song and a living statement of AHS’s philosophy. Sung at devotionals for decades, its words and melody continue to inspire students and families to seek “light and truth.”