On this page, you will find information about the proposed school building project and additions for St. Lorenz Lutheran School. This page will be continually updated with new information, key dates and more to help keep you informed.
Message from Pastor Brad
On March 6th, Pastor Brad sent an email to the congregation. You can read it by clicking below.
Read EmailContact Us
Do you have a question or comment about the project proposal? You can contact us in the form below.
Contact FormProposed Master Plan
Current Needs Summary
School Office
Maintenance Shop
Custodial Equipment Room
First Grade Pod off Learning Center
One Preschool Classroom
Two Middle School Classrooms
Renovate Several Existing Rooms
Maintenance Shop
Custodial Equipment Room
First Grade Pod off Learning Center
One Preschool Classroom
Two Middle School Classrooms
Renovate Several Existing Rooms
School Main Entry and Offices
School Office Addition (Area 1)
- Improved entrance security for students, staff and parents (separation and badge access).
- Secure Main Entrance: Visitors and Volunteers will wait in the secure vestibule until they are approved for entry, improving building control and oversight
- The students will have a separate interior access to the school office, apart from the main outside entrance, enhancing their safety.
- Integrated Security Features: Improved main entrance security enhances and complements existing measures such as Raptor (a visitor ID scanning security system), reinforced glass film on all windows, automatic locking doors, and alternate escape exits. Staff has annual training on all elements to ensure a comprehensive safety system.
- Revised office space for principal, assistant principal and school office secretary. Currently the assistant principal’s office is in the childcare wing.
- New office space for Early Childhood Director and assistant director. This frees up their current office space room so that it can be used for 3-year old childcare. Currently there is a day care wait list for afterschool care of preschool students. This space would help alleviate the wait list.
- Training Conference Room within secured school area used for the following:
- Dedicated Training Space: A designated area for childcare training, new employee training, teacher interviews, new teacher onboarding, and professional development.
- Collaboration and Meetings: A room for Student Service meetings between providers and parents, allowing for improved collaboration among staff, parents, and specialists.
- Parent and Administration Engagement: Accommodates meetings with parents, pastors, teachers, and other staff members in a spacious, private setting.
- Full Staff Gatherings: Enables weekly after-school meetings and monthly half-day staff development sessions without disrupting classroom or church spaces
- Shared office space for student therapy: speech, physical and occupational
- Consultation room for parent and principal meetings. These are currently done in the principal’s office which does not have ideal space to conduct these meetings.
- Sick bay with toilet.
- The existing vestibule for entry to the dining room will be pushed out to be even with the new structure and a storage room added.
Custodial Room Equipment and Childcare Room Remodel
Custodial Equipment Room (280 ft2) and Childcare Remodel (Area 1)
- Install new space that can adequately handle, store and clean floor cleaning equipment.
- Newer floor cleaning equipment is larger than current custodian closets can manage to properly maintain, service and clean the equipment. Floor cleaners that require draining and clean water flushing are currently taken outside to the grass to drain with no flushing possible.
- New office space for Early Childhood Director and assistant director in previous proposal frees up their current office space room so that it can be remodeled for 3-year old childcare. Currently there is a day care wait list for afterschool care of preschool students. This space would help alleviate the wait list.
Maintenance Shop Addition
Maintenance Shop Addition (550 ft2) (Area 1)
- The current maintenance shop is an electrical room which houses transformers that generate a lot of heat and expose workers to electromagnetic fields.
- This addition will create a separate shop space to house tools/hardware and work on projects and add ventilation to the electrical room to remove excess heat.
First Grade Addition
First Grade Pod off the Learning Center (Area 2)
- Install 4 new classrooms (each with bathrooms)
- Three will be used as 1st grade classrooms
- One will be used as a ‘maker space’ room for all elementary grades where kids learn through collaboration and hands-on activities
- Allows for grades 1-5 to have 3 classes per grade. Currently 4th grade is combined into two classes.
- Grades 2-5 will all be in Learning Center (LC)
- This addition will allow German and Student services to each have a room in the LC. Currently the German teacher has no dedicated room and teaches from a portable cart.
- Art will continue to be in the Heritage room
- Impact on staffing level: One additional 4th grade teacher
Preschool Room Addition
Additional Preschool Room (Area 2)
- Add one preschool room to the west of existing preschool wing.
- Revise existing preschool room by installing windows on the front (currently on the side)
- Install a family bathroom in the preschool wing
- Currently one of the preschool rooms in the childcare hallway is shared half days with childcare. Having an extra preschool room will free up this shared space to be dedicated to childcare. There is currently a day care wait list for pre-school students after school is done. This space would help alleviate the wait list.
- Impact on staffing level: No new preschool teacher required. Additional childcare workers needed (salary cost is offset by childcare revenue).
Middle School Addition
Middle School Addition (Area 3)
- New larger classroom to accommodate subjects taught to combined classes: math, confirmation, standardized testing, speakers & presentations, etc. Currently the larger math and confirmation classes meet in the adult ed room, which is not in a secured area of the school.
- Larger room will allow for group learning, collaborative and hands-on activities.
- 1580 ft2 (a little larger than Adult ed room which is 1550 ft2)
- Room extends to the north almost to the WEC entrance
- Adult Ed room would be freed up for daytime bible studies, dance practice, meetings, etc.
- New ‘STEM’ classroom: engineering building activities, electronics lab, robotics, 3-D printers, etc. Not having a STEM room is a current deficiency because almost all public schools have one.
- Impact on staffing level: None. Additional middle school rooms are not ‘home rooms’ and therefore do not require an additional teacher.
Estimates and Impact
COST ESTIMATE: $10 million (under current economic conditions)
OVERALL IMPACT OF PROPOSED BUILDING PROJECT
- Mission-Aligned: Reflects commitment to providing a safe, efficient, and nurturing environment for students, teachers, staff, and families.
- Future Growth: Positions the school for growth by addressing current limitations and anticipating future academic needs.
- School Family Confidence: Enhances trust and satisfaction among parents, teachers, staff, and the wider community regarding the school's commitment to safety and quality education.
Enrollment: Remains steady but we would like to continue to fulfill our goal to reduce the number of students per classroom in grades 1-5 to enhance the teacher’s ability to increase focus on students (ideally want 3 classrooms for grade 1-5, which we do not have space for).
- Typically ~60 students per grade.
- Grades 1-5: ideal is 20-23 per class (3 rooms)
- Grades 6-8: 30 per class (2 rooms)
Enrollment breakdown:
- 2023-2024: 490 (K-8), 114 (PS/Kprep), Total 604
- 2024 - 2025: 484 (K-8), 114 (PS/Kprep), Total 598
Impact on annual student fee: no direct impact
Operating cost impact: Estimated at $155,000/year to cover:
- One full time custodian
- One home room teacher
- Utilities & insurance
Nexts Steps and Draft Timeline
April 22nd 2025 | Voters’ meeting asking for approval to move forward with a pledge campaign to raise a goal of $10 million in funds to support the building project
June – Sept/Oct 2025 | Conduct pledge campaign to raise funds for project
November 2025 | Voters’ meeting to review pledge campaign results and ask for approval to move forward with a building program
Dec ’25 – July ‘26 | Generate construction drawings (8 months)
August 2026 | Drawings are sent out for bids (1 month)
Sept - Oct 2026 | Obtain necessary building permits (2 month)
November 2026 | Begin construction (15 months)
January 2028 | Finish construction
Task Force Team
Jeremy Frank | St Lorenz Executive Director
Phil Haubenstricker | St Lorenz Director of Building and Grounds
Cameron Sanborn | St Lorenz Maintenance Lead
Gary Schiefer | Ministry Council Representative
Gary Hochtanner | Director of Facilities, Saginaw Children’s Zoo, Architect
Jerry Maurer | Contractor for building construction
Patty Worden | Retired engineer, project experience
Leah Knoll, ad hoc | School Principal
Andrea Dykman, ad hoc | Preschool and Child Care Director
Phil Haubenstricker | St Lorenz Director of Building and Grounds
Cameron Sanborn | St Lorenz Maintenance Lead
Gary Schiefer | Ministry Council Representative
Gary Hochtanner | Director of Facilities, Saginaw Children’s Zoo, Architect
Jerry Maurer | Contractor for building construction
Patty Worden | Retired engineer, project experience
Leah Knoll, ad hoc | School Principal
Andrea Dykman, ad hoc | Preschool and Child Care Director