The St. John’s Lutheran church and school is finalizing plans to create more space for students and connect its buildings at 3517 Jeffco Blvd. in Arnold.
St. John’s currently is holding a ministry expansion campaign called “Building for Eternity” to fund an $8.9 million project to build an Early Childhood Center, renovate existing school classrooms and construct a two-story addition to connect the church to the school. About $3.9 million had been pledged for the project as of June 22, according to the church’s website, sjlarnold.org.
The Rev. Jeremy Schultz, St. John’s senior pastor, said the expansion plans are expected to be finalized by mid-October. The church has hired BSI Constructors of St. Louis for the expansion project.
“There is absolutely no question that God is calling us to expand our school ministry,” he said. “It is the best way for us to reach families with the gospel. We do have a way to go, but we are confident that God is in this with us.”
The church’s expansion is expected to be completed in two phases, with the first phase being the construction of the Early Childhood Center, which may start in the fall, as well as renovations of the existing school’s classrooms starting in spring 2026. The connecting addition will be the second phase.
The new building is expected to be completed in summer 2026, and the renovations could be finished by that fall. The connecting addition is expected to be completed by winter 2027, according to the website.
“I’m really excited for the Early Childhood Center,” said Brenda Spieler, St. John’s head of school. “I am excited to see what God does with that with the growth and possibilities to enhance our preschool program.”
The expansion project was presented to Arnold City Council on Sept. 5, and the council members took no action, which means they agreed with the Planning Commission’s recommendation to approve the conditional-use permit required for the expansion project to move forward.
Planning Commission members voted 5-2 on Aug. 26 to approve the plans. Alan Bess and Del Williams voted against the plans.
The Leader could not reach Bess or Williams for comment. However, Sarah Turner, Arnold’s interim Community Development director, said commission meeting minutes showed that Williams had concerns about sidewalks and stormwater issues.
Turner said St. John’s has donated some of its property to Arnold so it can install a sidewalk there when it improves St. Johns Church Road. Arnold has secured a Surface Transportation Block Grant from the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission, the governing body of the Missouri Department of Transportation, to help pay for the estimated $2.4 million improvement project along the road.
Arnold Project Engineer Judy Wagner said the road improvement project may start in 2027 or 2028, depending on how right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation proceed.
St. Johns Church Road’s lanes will be widened, curbs and gutters will be installed, new drainage facilities will be added to alleviate flooding problems and sidewalks will be built along both sides of the road, according to the city’s plans.
Turner also said St. John’s is incorporating stormwater retention measures into its expansion plans that will help stop water from crossing St. Johns Church Road and into the nearby neighborhood.
Turner said she is excited to see St. John’s expand.
“The addition to the school, expansion of the parking lot, addition of trees and expansion of their existing stormwater facility for the school all are great additions,” she said. “The connection between the church and school looks gorgeous and will be an awesome addition.”
Growing school
According to Arnold Planning Commission documents, St. John’s plans to build a 14,277-square-foot addition that will include classrooms and a multipurpose room that will double as a storm shelter. The new building will be built to the north of the existing school.
Spieler said the new building will have eight classrooms, with two to be used for kindergarten classes and six for preschool classes. She said moving the kindergarten and preschool rooms into the Early Childhood Center will add six more classrooms to the current school building, which will have classrooms for first through eighth grade students.
All of the current school’s classrooms will be renovated, the restrooms will be remodeled and the science lab will be updated, according to St. John’s website.
“It will enhance the education that students already get here at St. John’s,” Spieler said.
She said St. John’s Lutheran School is nearly at capacity this school year, including 100 preschool students, with 18 in the 2-year-old class; 35 divided into two 3-year-old classrooms; and 47 divided into two 4-year-old classrooms.
The grade school, which has students in kindergarten through eighth grade, enrolls 199 total students. Spieler said six of the nine classes are at capacity with 25 third grade students and 24 students in the first, second, fourth, sixth and eighth grade classes.
Spieler also said the school has 18 kindergartners, 20 fifth grade students and 16 seventh grade students this year.
Spieler said St. John’s has 14 teachers among its 49 staff members, which also includes teachers aids, custodians and other employees.
“The families are very excited about the possibility of moving forward with this expansion and the growth that has taken place here at St. John’s,” she said.
After the Early Childhood Center is built, St. John’s will have separate parking lots for students to be dropped off and picked up from school. The preschool children will come and go at a parking lot off Jeffco Boulevard, and the kindergarten through eighth-grade students will be dropped off and picked up from a parking lot off St. Johns Church Road.
“As St. John’s continues to grow, it is imperative that we are able to help the flow of traffic by giving our preschool parents a separate drop-off and pick-up,” Spieler said.
Connecting
The two-story addition expected to be built between the church and school will have administrative offices and three additional classrooms, according to St. John’s website.
Spieler said the addition will make it easier for students and staff members to move between the buildings.
“The school goes over for worship on Wednesday. We also use our school building for Sunday School classes,” she said. “That connection between the church and school will have a better flow.”