St. Joseph Christian expanding its facilities

Charles Christian anchors the evening news for News-Press NOW and also serves as an ordained minister at United Methodist Churches in Union Star and Helena, Missouri. Charles, St. Joseph News-Press, Mo.
·2 min read

Apr. 21—St. Joseph Christian School is undergoing an expansion project — one expected to cost more than $9 million — that will bring several building upgrades, including a new gymnasium.

The project is called Nehemiah 2.0, and in addition to a new gym, it will add five classrooms, locker rooms, a commons, a concession area and a large mezzanine with a walking track.

Glory Fagan, director of development for St. Joseph Christian, said the original fundraising goal has been met, but some design changes added the need for additional funds.

"The motivating factor behind this addition is an increased demand for Christian education in this area," Fagan said. "We're seeing demand in all age groups, but we are particularly seeing an increased demand in the early education area."

Right now, the school has two sections of every class level, but next year, school officials anticipate having three sections of the pre-kindergarten 4-year-old group.

A memo sent to parents and donors recently stated that the school had reached its initial goal of $9.2 million. The total cost of the project is estimated at around $9.4 million.

According to Fagan, the new gymnasium will attach to the existing gym at St. Joseph Christian. This addition will allow the gym to seat around 1,100 people for indoor sporting events. The new gym will also include a raised mezzanine and walking track. The school is also adding an elevator to the new facility, which increased the cost of the overall addition. However, Fagan said that donors were able to take the addition in stride.

"We've had some amazingly generous people who have donated greatly to this project," Fagan said. "We're very thankful for those people, and we give all the glory to God for that."

School administrators said they hope the project will be open and ready by the 2025-26 school year, barring serious delays.

Charles Christian anchors the evening news for News-Press NOW and also serves as an ordained minister at United Methodist Churches in Union Star and Helena, Missouri. Charles can be reached at charles.christian@newspressnow.com. Follow him on twitter: @NPNowChristian.