Education ministry has been a part of my life for more than four decades, and Shoreland Lutheran High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin has been part of my family’s story for nearly as long. I began my career teaching third grade and later spent 10 years at St. John’s in Burlington, Wisconsin, where I taught sixth and seventh grade before serving as principal. I came to Shoreland in 2002 and have had the opportunity to serve in a number of roles over the years, from guidance director and teacher to coach, principal and now president. My connection to Shoreland goes back even further, though. My dad began serving at Shoreland in 1986, first as Mission Advancement Director and later as Principal, and five of my seven siblings also attended the school.
That history makes it especially meaningful to see where Shoreland is today and where we are headed next.
A School Centered on Faith, Growth and Support
At Shoreland, we talk about three promises that describe who we are: Christ as our compass, growth as our pace and we support every stride.
Christ as our compass because we want our students to understand what true north is in life. There are a lot of people and influences calling young people in different directions, and keeping Christ at the center of what we do is our key focus.
Growth as our pace because we spend a lot of time meeting kids where they are at and helping them grow academically. Support in every stride means making sure throughout a student’s high school journey, there is somebody walking alongside them.
We have been blessed to see that approach resonate with families, and over the last decade, more of them have wanted their children to be part of Shoreland. That growth has been exciting, but it eventually presented us with a challenge: we were running out of room.
When a Want Became a Need
In 2014, Shoreland completed a project focused largely on science labs as we expanded opportunities in engineering, biomedical science and computer science. At that time, we had approximately 305 students. We started this school year with 478.
As enrollment moved into the 400s and our available space stayed the same, we reached a point where we actually had to say no to families. We hated having to do that when families believed Shoreland was the best place for their children, and creating more room for students became increasingly important.
We had talked about expanding as far back as 2017 and even had some initial drawings developed, but we could never quite get the financial side of the project to gain traction. Eventually, continued enrollment growth changed the conversation. What had once been something we wanted to do became something we needed to do if we wanted to continue serving more kids.
We got to know Catalyst Construction through some earlier planning work, so when we became serious about adding classroom space, Catalyst was one of the first groups we went to for conversations about what that could look like.
From those early discussions, there was a personal touch to working with Catalyst. We felt we could trust what they were telling us, which was something we appreciated from the beginning.
Prioritizing What Shoreland Needed Most
As we developed the project, our first priority was straightforward: more room for kids. We needed additional classrooms.
Our second priority was improving the front of the school. The original building was constructed in 1978, and it looked like it. Our 2014 improvements were largely toward the back of the campus, so they did not change what families and visitors saw when they first arrived at Shoreland.
We had other priorities as well, including an auxiliary gym and fitness center and additional needs related to music, but financially we could not do everything at once. We decided to start with the classroom space and the front entrance, believing those improvements would allow us to serve more students while also creating a much stronger first impression of Shoreland.
Getting to construction took patience. Catalyst was ready to move forward well before we were financially prepared to do so, and they stuck with us as we worked to get the project to a place where we felt we could responsibly move forward. That patience and understanding of our financial needs became an important part of our experience with the Catalyst team.
Finding Solutions Along the Way
One of my favorite parts of the finished project actually came from a challenge we encountered during planning. We had been looking for a particular color of brick for the exterior but could not find the right match. Catalyst suggested using precast panels stamped with a brick pattern instead. Our team was skeptical at first, so we visited another faith-based facility that had used a similar approach. Seeing what was possible helped us become comfortable with the idea.
The timing became another challenge because our financial process delayed when we could order the panels. Once they arrived, however, the craftsmanship that went into finishing them was incredible. The team individually worked over the stamped bricks to create the final appearance. What began as a compromise because we could not find the brick we originally envisioned became one of my favorite parts of the building.
To me, that is a great example of what you want from a construction partner. There are going to be things that do not go exactly as originally planned, and you need a team that can help you find another solution without losing sight of what you are ultimately trying to accomplish.
Building a School While Running a School
Construction began in the middle of a Wisconsin winter, and because the addition was being built onto the front of our existing school, there were significant logistical challenges throughout the process. We still had hundreds of students coming to school every day, parents dropping off and picking up their children, classes taking place and activities happening throughout the building. Catalyst understood we still had to have school.
Our superintendent, Chad Harsch, was amazing throughout that process. The team adjusted work when noise would interfere with what was happening inside the school, came in on Saturdays when necessary and helped us work through parking, pickup, drop-off and the many other logistical issues that came with an active construction site.
The broader Catalyst team brought that same personal approach. Throughout the project, I appreciated it never felt corporate. It felt much more like we were working with people who knew us, understood what we were trying to accomplish and cared about getting us there.
Seeing the Difference
One of the most rewarding moments came when our families returned for orientation and saw the finished space for the first time. I stood outside greeting people as they arrived, and it reminded me of a home renovation show when the owners finally walk into the finished house. People came through the doors and their reaction was essentially, “Oh my goodness, I can’t believe it.”
In addition to the new classrooms and band space, we now have an atrium that gives Shoreland a grand entrance. I love standing out there every morning. It is simply a fun space, and it has completely changed the experience of walking into our school.
The additional space is also allowing us to do things we have struggled to accommodate in recent years. And as we enter another recruitment season, families touring Shoreland are now walking into a building that better reflects the experience we want to provide once they are here. The difference between our old entrance and what visitors see today is dramatic.
Choosing the Right Construction Partner
For another school considering a project like this, my advice would be to do your homework and find a construction partner that is flexible enough to understand the realities of working through a school year. A project like this is not happening in an empty building. Students still need to learn, parents still need to get in and out, activities continue and the school needs to operate every day.
I had heard other people talk about their experiences with construction projects, and they were impressed by the amount of personal attention we received from the Catalyst team. For us, that personal attention, flexibility, understanding of our financial situation and willingness to stick with us were incredibly important.
It is always more enjoyable to work with a group where you feel like you are working with family rather than getting a corporate feel, and that is what our experience with Catalyst was like.
We are excited about what this first phase has made possible, but we are not finished. We believe the new classroom space puts us in a position to eventually serve as many as 550 students, while a future auxiliary gym will be an important piece of accommodating that growth and all the other needs that go into running a school day.
For Shoreland, this project was ultimately about creating the space we need to continue serving more students while remaining true to the mission that has guided us all along. We are grateful to have a facility that better reflects where Shoreland is today and gives us room to continue growing into the future.
To learn more about Shoreland Lutheran High School, its mission, programs and community, visit slhs.us.
Planning a construction project for your school, church or organization? Learn how Catalyst Construction can help bring your vision to life at catalystbuilds.com.
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