LUTHERANS CITE NEED FOR HIGH SCHOOL IN REGION

After shootings at high schools from Paducah, Ky., to Littleton, Colo., instilling Christian values and education is more important than ever, say members of the Saxony Lutheran High School steering committee.

"You can see with what's happening in our country that we have something to offer to people," said the Rev. David Dissen, pastor emeritus of Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau.

"And what we have is the word of God to plant in the soil of hearts," he said, referring to a scripture passage in Isaiah 55:10.

About 25 people representing Lutheran congregations from Perryville to Sikeston and places in between met at Trinity Lutheran Church Monday night to talk about the next phase of the project.

Finding funding sources and a location are still the most critical tasks ahead of the group, said Curt Wills, president.

Enrollment numbers, tuition costs and budgeting won't mean anything until the school has a location and some money, he said. And the rash of shootings might help spark some interest in the project.

"I've had a lot more questions since the shooting" in Littleton, he said.

Finding students to enroll in the high school won't be difficult, especially since there are already Lutheran elementary schools operating in the area. The closest Lutheran high school is in St. Louis.

"We'll get the students if we provide a good Christian education with emphasis on good and on Christian," said Bill Unzicker, principal at Trinity School.

Dr. William Dillon agreed. "We might gain nothing but the children will gain everything," he said. Dillon represents a Sikeston congregation.

About nine churches have already voted to support the high school project. Other congregations are expected to take similar votes later in the summer.

But even with just nine supporting churches a lot has already been accomplished, said Fred Younghouse, vice president of the steering committee and a Trinity member.

"We've done what took two and one-half years to get done in Illinois," said Wills, who worked with a start-up committee on a similar school project in Evansville, Ill.

The committee approved a corporation document that will be sent to the secretary of state for certification and selected a subcommittee to study land sites.

Although no permanent location has to be selected before the school is ready to open in 2000, sites are being considered as a possibility for permanency.

Other options are using classroom space in area churches and adding mobile classrooms as needed.

The old Notre Dame High School at Ritter and Caruthers streets is still a possible location for the school. The Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese had said earlier that it was not sure whether the building would be available because a committee was studying possible uses.

However, since the Saxony Lutheran School would be using it as a temporary location, something might be arranged, Wills said. The school committee had asked to lease the property for five years until they find something more permanent.

Eventually the steering committee would like to locate the school near Fruitland since it would be more centrally situated for students from Perryville and Sikeston and would provide easy access to Interstate 55.

The group meets again June 14 at 7:30 p.m. for a report on the possible sites.