Church to survey desire for Lutheran High

Letters will go out this week to at least 1,000 families with children who might be interested in attending a regional Lutheran high school.

The letters contain a survey sheet asking a variety of questions about the potential for Sierra Lutheran High School, which would serve the Carson City and Douglas County areas.

Preliminary plans for a high school are complete, but supporters want to get more detailed responses from families on issues such as cost, transportation and the best size for such a school.

"On the negative side, we don't want to start the school with 15 or 20 students," said Marv Laurente, principal at Bethlehem Lutheran School in Carson City.

"By doing this survey, we hope to get a good number of potential students, that's the purpose. At this point we really have no idea how many potential students we may have. Another part of the survey is to help judge what would be affordable (tuition) for the family."

Tuition at Bethlehem Lutheran School, which serves kindergarten through eighth grade, is approximately $2,550 for one student. Tuition is reduced for additional children in a family. The steering committee will consider a similar arrangement for the high school.

"Our goal is to have a full, four-grade high school and not begin step by step. We also need to determine the need for transportation. At this time, there are no plans in particular for busing. We would work with the parents for car-pooling possibilities."

The only non-public school offering full high school class education is Bishop Manogue in south Reno.

Capital Christian Center in Carson City has class levels up to and including the 10th grade. Capital Christian Center plans to add one grade level per year until the 12th grade is complete.

In the early phases of planning, letters were sent to all Lutheran pastors and congregations from Reno south to the California border and from Tahoe to Yerington, sharing detailed information about the planned project. Most responded favorably, supporters said.

A similar mailing was sent to more than 40 churches of various denominations in the Carson/Douglas county area.

This week's mailings are going to homes that have younger, elementary-age children who might be potential prospects for the new Christian school.

It will ask: "In general, would you like to see a Lutheran high school established in our area?"

If the answer is yes, the survey goes into more detail about their views relating to distance, transportation, tuition and optimum size of the school.

Included in the mailing are members of the Lutheran congregations of Trinity in Gardnerville, Bethlehem and Shepherd of the Sierra in Carson City, and River of Life in Dayton. Already committed to the project as congregations, the individual members of each congregation will be asked questions involving their view regarding personal and congregational financial support to information about members of their families.

For information regarding the study, callers can leave their name with the secretary, or on voice mail at 267-3580, or write to Sierra Lutheran High, P.O. Box 2705, Carson City, 89702.