Saxony high school opens $4.5 million capital campaign

Southeast Missourian

Area Lutherans are a step closer to realizing their dream of a new facility for Saxony Lutheran High School.

The school announced its "Christ the Cornerstone" capital campaign Sunday to 22 congregations in Southeast Missouri.

Over the next three years, the campaign will raise money to construct a $4.5 million permanent campus on a 40-acre site in Jackson that the school purchased in 2000.

Saxony Lutheran, which has an enrollment of 30 students this year, is currently in temporary facilities at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau.

The high school serves Cape Girardeau, Scott, Perry, Farmington County, Bollinger counties as well as counties in Southern Illinois, encompassing more than 13,000 Lutherans.

"Saxony Lutheran High School will be a great blessing to our community for generations to come," said the Rev. David Johnson, senior pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson. "It will be a school that helps parents in that great task of educating their children not only in the temporal things of this life, but most importantly, to do it under the influence of God's word."

Around $1.25 million has already been raised toward the goal, beginning with a $649,000 donation from Jackson resident Gerhard Birk.

"Mr. Birk's generous gift was the catalyst for this campaign, and has inspired other families to respond to this mission opportunity," said Rhonda Zacharias, director of development for the project.

The project will be similar to the 1996-1997 fund-raising efforts of Notre Dame Regional High School. During a yearlong campaign, Notre Dame raised more than $5 million for a new 114,000-square-foot facility, which was completed in 1998.

Saxony Lutheran has planned construction in two phases. The first phase will accommodate 150 students in over 39,000 square feet of education, worship and athletic space. As enrollment grows, additional classrooms will be added as part of phase two.

"The momentum has been building toward this moment for a long time," said Dutch Meyr of Jackson, who serves as campaign co-chair with his wife, Sharon, as well as David and Candy Hahs of Cape Girardeau and Marvin and Aileen Petzoldt of Frohna, Mo.

Saxony officials approved a floor plan by Hoener Architects Associates of St. Louis earlier this month, and actual construction may begin as early as next fall.

A community groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for 4 p.m. May 18 at the new campus site at the southeast corner of the Interstate 55/U.S. 61 interchange, with a celebration following at the Bavarian Halle.

cclark@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 128