AUGUST UPDATES – Positioning to Move Forward!
During every week of August a new update will be posted that explains work completed during the past several months. Each finished project has strengthened the position from which we bring alive the new Lutheran high school vision.

Governance Transition Complete (Aug. 17, 2010)
The change from an association of churches to an autonomous governance structure was completed on July 29th with the adoption by the association delegates of the Restated and Amended Bylaws of the new Lutheran high school's corporation.

Work to make that transition began over a year ago with extensive research on an effective future governance model for Lutheran high schools. That research showed that many churches desire to be supportive of Lutheran secondary education, but they no longer have the available financial resources to own and operate a high school. Not only formal research but informal dialog with area church leaders confirmed that assumption.

With the help of a lawyer the change was made in a legally responsible way, and proper communication insured the participation of all churches who had potentially at one time been members of the association.

In addition, a governance study team has helped chart the path of how relationships with supporting congregations will be maintained under the new governance structure. These relationships will be built upon a partnership between churches and the high school that grows from enthusiasm generated by effective communication and shared ministry goals.

Annexation (Aug. 10, 2010)
Very soon, when driving by the property, everyone will see construction equipment onsite and working. This activity is for the trenches being dug to run sewer and water lines along the western edge of our 33 acre site. When the high school is built, the lines will already be onsite for us to be able to tap into. Signing the annexation agreement with the Otter Creek Water Reclamation District, along with granting them easements across our property, has been the culmination of years of dialog and negotiation among a variety of groups to bring sewer and water service to this area. This is an exciting first step in the development of our site.

Further annexation agreements are still necessary to be completed. One is with the Fox River Water Reclamation District, and those negotiations have begun. The final annexation piece involves working with the Village of South Elgin.

Small Parcel of Land Sold to St. Patrick's (Aug. 3, 2010)
The future site of the new Lutheran high school is a 33 acre plot between St. Charles and South Elgin near the intersection of Randall Road and Silver Glen. In July 2010 the closing on the sale of 1¾ acres of that property to St. Patrick's Catholic Church was completed. This sale was necessary for St. Patrick's to establish contiguity to South Elgin in order to obtain sewer and water services for their new elementary school construction. The proceeds from the sale have been set aside by the high school to help offset the significant costs of property improvement including bringing sewer and water services to the future high school. The terms of the sale of the acre and three-quarters to St. Patrick's include a buy-back option at a pre-determined price to be exercised at a future time by the high school.

May 25, 2010
Naming the new school has been in the hands of the Board of Directors as they've worked to analyze the input received and align that with the vision for the new school. They have recently determined that the release of the new school's name will wait until after the organization's annual meeting in July at which time the governance transition will take place. The announcement of the name will be part of launching the new structure in late summer and early fall.

Negotiations continue with Otter Creek Water Reclamation District regarding a variety of matters. The placement of easements for water and sewer lines has been agreed upon and will be placed along the boundary of the high school property. Annexation discussions still need to occur with the Village of South Elgin and the Fox River Water Reclamation District.

Mar 14, 2010
Annexation progress continues with Otter Creek Water Reclamation District regarding the placement of the easements for water and sewer lines. A draft document for annexation into Otter Creek has been received and is being studied.

Naming the new school is now in the hands of the Board of Directors. The decision is getting close as a general direction for choosing the name has been set. Consideration is being given to the suggestions posted on the naming blog which may lead to a name that ends up being a combination of names and ideas that have already been submitted.

Feb 21, 2010
Annexation - Meetings continue with the Otter Creek Water Reclamation District and with the Village of South Elgin. Progress is being made on the matters that need to be resolved, but a full agreement remains to be drafted.

Governance - The newly formed governance team has now met for the first time to begin their work. They are currently studying the research that has been done and analyzing how to best adapt the recommendation of counsel for our sustainability goals.

Naming - The naming advisory panel continues their work. This group is trying to reach a consensus by the end of April.

Feb 7, 2010
Funding Forum - Respected minds in the area of development will gather on February 8th for a six hour forum to chart a path for the pursuit of succssful funding of the new school.

Communications Team - This group has been meeting frequently and is now finishing the details of the communications plan for the next six months. In the meantime, personal visits with pastors, church councils, school boards, and school faculties continue.

Jan 24, 2010
Naming - Analyzing the input for naming the school is underway, and the school-naming advisory panel will examine that analysis as they meet during February.

Work of Teams - The communications and personnel teams have welcomed new members, and both groups have met to outline steps for their initial work. In the area of development, a forum is scheduled for early February that will bring together excellent minds in the area of funding. This group will examine and chart the path deemed most successful for raising the necessary funds to build the school.

Relationship Building - Meetings with area pastors, principals, church councils, and faculties have proven especially beneficial and will continue to be the focus in the weeks ahead.

Property Annexation - Work is being done on annexation of the 33 acre school site into the village of South Elgin along with the appropriate water reclamation districts. These agreements, once reached, will bring sewer and water capabilities to the property.

Jan 8, 2010
Blog posts have been impressively full of insight. What wonderful dialog! The blog's ending date for receiving posts is Monday, January 11th. Following the completion of the blog, a name-the-school task force will carefully analyze the factors that have been posted for consideration.

Teams of workers are beginning their work this month. It is truly amazing to see the talent represented on the working teams.

Individual meetings with area pastors have begun and are being followed up with presentations to church councils, school faculties, and other groups in order to spread knowledge of the vision and of the work being done.

Dec 8, 2009
Participation has been extensive in naming the new school. 78 names were submitted, and it was obvious that people had given careful thought to their ideas as evidenced in the explanation of support submitted with each entry. An advisory panel is narrowing down the list, and a blog will allow participants to dialog about the names.

A variety of very talented people continue to express interest in serving on the various working teams. By the end of January all teams will have held their first meeting. Additional volunteers are still being accepted.

Nov 20, 2009
Last week the “Name the School” campaign was launched, and we have already received 18 suggestions for names for the new school. There is still time to submit ideas before the list is narrowed down in preparation for a Name Blog that will be set up in December. Then people will be able to post their reactions to the suggested names.

Individual meetings are in progress with potential participants and with leaders who can influence others. These will continue in the weeks ahead.

Nov 6, 2009
Traffic to the website has been steady since its beginning two weeks ago. As a result, 5 new PrayerPod members have been added, and 6 new team members have indicated the desire to participate! We are on our way to getting the necessary work completed according to the pacing we have set out.

A “Name the School” plan is being launched in the coming weeks.

Oct 22, 2009
With planning complete the Board of Directors, at their October meeting, enthusiastically approved beginning the Participation Phase of new school development. As information about the new school's vision and plans is communicated during the next month, the right talented mix of participants will be located to serve on the various teams that have the privilege and excitement of creating something entirely new and special.