Grace Lutheran School History

From its very beginning Grace Congregation has been deeply concerned with the Christian training of its children. The congregation had been formally organized only one week when it called its first teacher, Mr. Herman Gruel, in 1882. Making use of an existing building on the property, it had a school building of its own even before it had a church building to worship in.

The first enrollment was beyond all expectation and already in September, 1883, the school building was found to be too small. Two weeks later the enrollment stood at 65, and by November 28 there were 82 pupils who were taught by a single teacher!

Two years later with the enrollment near 90 the congregation resolved to ease Mr. Gruel's work and engaged Miss Ida Zick to teach the lower grades. By the next spring the enrollment reached 96, and it was clear that something would have to be done to provide more classroom space. On March 1, 1885, the congregation resolved to build a new three-room school at a cost of $1274. The building was dedicated the following August 16th.

With rather extensive rebuilding in 1905 it continued to serve the congregation as its school building for another fifty-two years.

The high point in the enrollment was reached in 1901, with 152 pupils in school. But for reasons that are not easy to determine, the number of pupils gradually declined, even though the congregation continued to grow.

In 1946 the enrollment stood at 72, or less than half the children in the congregation who were of school age. This, however, was the turning point. Steadily the figure rose until, in 1957, there were 176 children enrolled with about 70% of the children from the congregation.

In 1947 it became necessary to add a third teacher to the faculty. The steadily increasing enrollment brought the congregation face to face with an increasingly difficult and pressing problem. The old building was becoming too small. To meet this problem, a committee was appointed in January, 1949, to consider the possibility of planning for a new school building. The report of this committee resulted in the establishing of a School Building Fund the following year.

By 1955 the crowded conditions in the old building became acute. Late that year a concerted effort was made to increase the size of the Building Fund. By the middle of 1956 the Building Committee began its work in earnest. Plans were developed, and on Sunday, June 16, 1957, the old school building had been razed. Ground was broken for a new school on the old site at a cost of about $250,000. Classes during this time were held at Peace Lutheran Sunday School. Since the dedication on April 21, 1958, the school has shown steady growth in enrollment.

An addition to the school was built in 1970, providing office space for the pastor and church secretary, as well as more classroom space. In 1978 the church office was moved from the room next to the sacristy to the school building. In 1995 a new state-of-the-art gymnasium was built on the west side of the school. It is used for many purposes, including the school physical education program, boys' and girls' basketball games, the Christmas Eve children's program, and family and community projects.

In 1965 Grace extended their arm to include high school when it joined the Winnebago Lutheran Academy Association.

In 1998 a new handicapped accessible entrance was built for the church, creating new space for the church and school offices and library.