OCONOMOWOC, WI: Sept. 4 marked the first day at the newly constructed St. Matthews Lutheran School and First Steps Child Care Center on Highway P and Brown Street in Oconomowoc. Students and teachers were able to participate in a brief ribbon cutting for their new 56,000+ sq. ft. school, which currently has an enrollment of 165 students–up from 130 just last year at its original 818 W Wisconsin Ave. location.
The opening of the School was the culmination of a long-term community effort that had started back in 2003 when the church purchased 30 acres and began to discuss plans for a new facility. However, the 2008 recession tabled those plans. In 2015, the church restarted efforts to plan the new campus. Many parties were involved to make it happen including Vandewalle & Associates, who provided neighborhood planning (coordination between adjoining developer, St. Matthews, City, and the Oconomowoc School District) along with project facilitation, & entitlement.
A second opening ceremony will take place Sunday September 9th with service in the new gym and dedication at 11, followed by Grand Ribbon cutting photo ops and tours beginning at 11:30 am.
