Written by Philip M. Gustafson
Enrollment in Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) schools is declining. Since enrollment peaked in 1990 with almost 32,000 students, enrollment has declined to 24,170 students in 2013-2014 (WELS Commission on Lutheran Schools, 2014). Since our WELS school system is so vital to us as a synod, that is cause for alarm, right? After all, with lower enrollment comes fewer students hearing God’s Word and fewer future synod leaders.
Not so fast. At the same time Lutheran elementary school (LES) enrollment is on the decline, another ministry area in the WELS is thriving: early childhood. From 2006 to 2013, LES enrollment dropped 7% from 26,035 to 24,254, while early childhood ministries increased 11% from 9,354 to 10,423 (Schmill, 2013, p. 40). This growth is seen as a source of hope for the WELS school system. “At a time when many Lutheran elementary schools are shrinking and even closing, the explosive growth among early childhood ministries has been a source of optimism for many in our synod” (Otterstatter, 2013, p. 1).
The Lord has certainly blessed early childhood ministry across the synod. But why is one ministry thriving, while the other sees decline? Can Lutheran elementary schools use Early Childhood Learning Centers (ECLCs) as a way to revitalize enrollment? I recently completed my thesis for the Martin Luther College master’s program with this question as the topic.
After conducting my research, I believe that ECLCs can increase LES enrollment across the synod. Based on the research, LESs that have a connected ECLC tend to have a higher enrollment than schools that do not have a connected ECLC. Over the five-year period studied, LESs that are connected to an ECLC have an average enrollment of 89 students compared with an average enrollment of only 68 for schools that are not connected to an ECLC.
Simply having an Early Childhood Center does not mean increased LES enrollment every time. I focused my research on factors that can lead to an increase in the number of students that continue in our LESs after enrolling in an ECLC. The following things were learned.
Focus on creating a quality ECLC. “If you build it, they will come” is not necessarily true when it comes to our WELS ECLCs. A lot of planning needs to go into starting an ECLC. The synod has a publication called Building Blocks that is meant to be a handbook for schools looking to add or expand the early childhood ministry at their congregation. This manual prepares the congregation through proper planning and can even be helpful to schools that already have an early childhood ministry. The overall goal is to create a quality ECLC. This means having well trained teachers, an up-to-date facility, and a curriculum that meets the needs of young learners. The ECLC also needs to have a clear mission and focus. If parents value the Early Childhood Learning Center you create, they will be more likely to enroll in the LES.
Word of mouth is an essential part of outreach. The importance of word-of-mouth recruitment is very apparent. Over and over again, administrators listed word of mouth as the main reason their Early Childhood Learning Center and school were growing. Parents seem more likely to attend an Early Childhood Learning Center and then continue on to the LES if they were referred by a parent. Administrators can take advantage of this fact by promoting word-of-mouth referrals with school parents. Giving parents materials to hand to people they know about the school could make it even easier to promote the school through word of mouth.
Finally, it is important to foster an environment where there is little to no transition between the Early Childhood Learning Center and the LES. Schools that do this well refer to their program as a 3K-8 program rather than an ECLC and a separate LES. It seems like a little thing, but this minor change in how we present our schools can make a big difference.
The Lord has blessed our Synod through the years, and will continue to be with us in the future. We can use early childhood ministry to revitalize our school system and ultimately reach more souls with the gospel. In this way we can carry out the Great Commission until our Lord returns on the last day.
“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19, New International Version).
Philip Gustafson (’09) is currently serving as assistant principal at St. Mark Lutheran School — Eau Claire WI and teaches seventh and eighth grade. He also recently finished his MS-Ed with an emphasis in instruction from Martin Luther College.
References
Otterstatter, M. (2013). Issues in Lutheran Education Blog. Can WELS early childhood ministries fulfill their outreach promise? Retrieved from http://blogs.mlc-wels.edu/wels-educator/2013/01/30/can-wels-early-childhood-ministries-fulfill-their-outreach-promise/
Schmill, G. (2013). Commission on Lutheran Schools Report. WELS Book of Reports and Memorials.
WELS Commision on Lutheran Schools. (2014). School Summaries Report. Retrieved from WELS Connect.
Our congregation has both a Preschool (20+ years) and a LES (15+). I think the reason that it is much easier to fill the preschool rather than the LES is the facilities that non WELS parents look for. At the preschool level they are looking for a quality, safe, school. At the LES level many are looking for the music program or the gymnasium with all the sports teams that many of our schools do not offer. As in our case, there are a couple of quality Christian schools that have all the amenities so we lose many of our preschoolers to those schools. We have chosen to find our niche in a direction which is now giving us growth we have not seen in years.
Another thing is the lack of contemporary WELS Church services. At my Church. (Faith Lutheran, Tacoma WA) over seventy percent of the school families are non members. These people are either unchurched or go to a contemporary Church. The only come to Church on Sunday’s that their kids sing. If we offered a more modern service we may be able to gain more members and know they are getting the true message.
Cascade Christian Highschool had a problem growing. They hired a business consultant to come up with a plan to grow the school. They had three feeder schools. The consultant suggested they find two more grade schools. Also all of the grade schools need to have full time year round day cares with fifty or more students. His plan ran on a ten % retention through grade 8. In just a few years all the schools grew. The Highschool had to add another wing to add middle school to make more space in the feeders. This worked for them why not us?