Walking together, one step at a time

Valley Lutheran School, Cedar Falls, Iowa

Successful projects are completed one step at a time.

At Valley Lutheran School in Cedar Falls, Iowa, there were many faithful steps—and even some leaps of faith—that got them to where they are today.

The school was started in 1997 by parents and supporters looking for a Lutheran education option for their high schoolers, and so Valley Lutheran High School emerged.

Before long, the school took another step, expanding into middle school and, six years after that, elementary school grades were offered.

“Valley Lutheran is the result of a commitment over 22 years to bring faithfulness, truth and God’s grace to students,” explained Rev. Henry Pahlkotter, executive director for Valley Lutheran School. “Today our ministry theme and mission is to be “More than a school”—we’re doing a ministry.”

Following God’s lead
As the school expanded, Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) was ever-present to walk alongside Valley Lutheran as a faithful partner, so it was no surprise when the school called on LCEF for their next step—remodeling to enhance the school’s safety.

“When I came, the office was in the center of the building,” recalled Pahlkotter. “We wanted to move the office right to the front of the building and have all of the administration in the front office together so that we can visually see anyone approaching or entering the school. We just needed to make sure we were offering the highest level of security that we could for our kiddos and those in our building.”

LCEF helped provide a bridge loan and construction loan to Valley Lutheran, enabling them to take the necessary steps for the good of their families and mission. Now the front office is the gateway to the school, complete with a fresh look and new school logo.

“Our families love [the remodel] so far,” said Pahlkotter. “As our spaces are becoming better for our students, families are more confident that we’re doing an outstanding job—they’re pleased with the progress and looking to see where God is leading us.”

But as God continues to lead Valley Lutheran, He’s also leading more and more families to the school—which means additional classrooms are necessary to accommodate the rapid growth of the student body.

Three steps ahead
Incredibly, many years ago, Valley Lutheran School’s project planners took a risk, making moves a few steps ahead. When they expanded to include the elementary school, they also built a mezzanine space that could later be developed—even though they didn’t know if or when it would ever be needed.

“They had a great vision back then,” shared Pahlkotter. “They had an elevator put in, holes cut for stairwells, rooms plumbed for science. They knew we would someday expand our need for science classrooms. I think they did a lot of prayer time to take this initiative because schools are expensive, and it was a commitment. But it’s always been about caring for Cedar Valley and keeping Lutheran education available. Plus we have 26 acres to expand our needs.”

With the unfinished mezzanine project underway, Valley Lutheran hopes to build four more classrooms on the first floor and seven more on the second floor. LCEF is working closely with them on a capital campaign to raise funds for the project—which mostly will include only interior costs since the shell of the space is already built.

And the timing couldn’t be better.

Now that Iowa has passed a School Choice law allowing for the use of Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), Valley Lutheran anticipates that enrollment is only going to continue to grow. But with faithful partners walking with them every step of the way, the school is certain that they’ll be able to meet this challenge humbly and gracefully.

“The commitment to quality Christ-centered education is strong here, and LCEF has been with us through thick and thin,” said Pahlkotter. “Even in Valley’s history where we had difficulty making payments, they stuck with us. God is faithful and He has kept this school open, and now we’re in a different financial situation than we were even 10 years ago.”

“They’ve been so helpful and honest with us, even advising us not to bite off more than we could chew,” added Pahlkotter. “LCEF has helped us be the best we can be and grow as fast as we can but not foolishly.”

That’s right, Valley Lutheran School. Keep moving forward. One step at a time.