ST. PAUL MOVES INTO NEW FACILITY

Joseph Graefe's fourth grade students participating in a class discussion Wednesday. Jackson USA Signal/Mark Evans

"Laben raum," the term made both famous and infamous by The Third Reich, is readily available at the new St. Paul Lutheran School. At the moment three is "elbow room" for everyone.

"We're looking at the future," said Principal Al Lipke on the first day of classes in he new $2.5 million building Wednesday. "We're looking at adding kindergarten next year and this will give us plenty of room to grow into."

The approximately 32,000-square-foot school and multi-purpose building connects onto the St. Paul church building and faces the old school building across Russell Street. The two school buildings are computer linked by fiber optics.

The new facility houses 130 students in grades 1-4 (with 38 fourth graders comprising the largest class) and the circa 1950 structure another 116 students in grades 5-8. The seventh grade class of 35 is the largest in the upper grades.

"We're excited," Lipke said. "We've been waiting for this day for a long time. Now it's here."

He indicated that things went as smoothly as possible the first day.

"We had a couple of younger ones get lost and go tot the wrong building," he said, "but overall, things have gone very well."

The building includes a new cafeteria, capable of seating 280-300 students. Like most of the other rooms, it can be divided into smaller rooms. Two or three rooms may be quickly partitioned in the large area.

Much of the new school building will double as church space. Sunday School classes will likely be using the cafeteria, as well as other rooms.

The kitchen is also new and includes a dishwasher -- something new for St. Paul.

"The kitchen people are really excited about that," Lipke said. "In something like 55 seconds they can wash a load of dishes."

The building is handicapped-accessible, with ramps and rails in plentiful supply.

A new music room will double as adult choir and handbell choir space for the church.

Some rooms remain empty, awaiting the school to grow onto them. One large second floor room is about 42 by 40 and can be quickly divided into two or four rooms. It will be into use as a Sunday School area as well. A church library is also being opened in the new addition.

Eventually every classroom will have Internet access. Some already do. Each room is designed to hold at least seven computers. The two buildings are networked, with fiber optics having been run under Russell Street.

Additionally, each classroom has a telephone.

"This is for security purposes as well as general communication," Lipke said. "It was a major undertaking."

A large new office is just to the left after entering the new addition from Russell Street. Behind it are a teacher's lounge, Lipke's office and another room. The office in the old building will be converted to a teacher's lounge and workroom.

One of the goals in the move was to eventually "split" each grade into two classes. Currently grades 1-3 are split.

While staff and faculty are "still learning our way around" the new building, in the words of one staff member, they are doing so quickly.

A dedication ceremony will be held next Sunday at 2 p.m., with an open house 3-5 p.m.