Submitted photo Last spring, construction began on MVL’s latest addition called “Building on the Rock” campaign. The new addition will span more than 37,000 square feet

Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School is thriving as they continue their mission to “Use God’s Word in a Christ-centered education to assist families in training students for Christian lives on earth and for eternity.”

The school is located just east of New Ulm on Highway 14. Currently, the highway is closed due to the construction of the highway into a four-lane road; however, it should be open to the west to New Ulm this fall and soon after to the east. Currently you can access the school on County Road 21 and then on 561st Avenue.

Dr. Tim Plath, who will be starting his 19th year as principal at MVL during the 2023-2024 school year, explained that he is excited to see what the opening of the new Highway 14 will mean for MVL.

“It will bring us closer to North Mankato which could possibly bring us more students,” he said.

Last year MVL had an enrollment of 221 students, but for the 2023-2024 year MVL is expecting an enrollment of 270. Students come from the local communities as well as other cities that include Belle Plaine, Jordan, Mankato, St. James, Sanborn, Redwood Falls, Gibbon, Fairfax, and Winthrop. “Our budget provides funds for buses to cover over a 50-mile radius to transport the students. We have students from more than ten school districts,” said Plath.

When MVL started in 1979, Plath already had a connection to MVL as he was a teacher at St. Paul’s Lutheran School. MVL classes were conducted in two classrooms and a lecture room at St. Paul’s Lutheran School in New Ulm. It opened on August 27, 1979, with 17 tenth graders and 28 ninth graders. These 45 students represented the largest enrollment in the first-year history of a WELS area Lutheran high school.

In 1981, MVL moved to their current 77-acre parcel of land. As enrollment grew, MVL needed to expand the school. Additions to the school were done in 1995 and again in 2007. Construction recently started on the latest addition called the “Building on the Rock” campaign. This construction will be adding two science classrooms on the northwest corner of the school and two classrooms below those. The current gym will be changed to a fine arts center after a new field house, which will seat 1,200 people, is built which will provide improved athletic space for students along with a new entrance. This new addition will span more than 37,000 square feet.

Co-curricular activities are strong at MVL. “About ninety percent of our students are involved in some type of activity,” said Plath. MVL offers a variety of activities for students including – football, volleyball, and track in the fall; basketball and dance team in the winter; and baseball, track, softball, trap shooting, and golf in the spring. Students are also able to play soccer on Cathedral High School’s and New Ulm High School’s teams; tennis with New Ulm High School students; and Cathedral students join MVL students for track. There are also academic teams at MVL along with music and drama.

“We always look for areas where we can partner with others to provide as many opportunities as possible for our students,” said Plath. MVL currently has partnerships with New Ulm High School for technical education classes, and Oak Hills Living Center for the certified nursing assistant program.

In the past MVL has hosted international students. Plath said, “The pandemic shut that down for a few years, but we are expecting to start again this year with having an international student from Germany.”

This school year “Project Lead the Way” will start at MVL. This program will provide three potential tracks for students to take a class in engineering, computer science or biological science. The plan is, that next year, two classes will be offered in engineering and computer science with hopes to build on this in the future.

For the 2023-2024 school year, MVL will employ 18 teachers, 3 office staff, 2 maintenance employees, a study hall supervisor and kitchen staff. “We are blessed to have a good faculty and staff. We continue to work together to improve the integrity of MVL,” said Plath.

Plath continued, “Our students do very well on standardized testing and advanced placement tests. We have had a 100 percent graduation rate with about 90 percent of our graduates continuing their education at college. About 30-50 percent go to either Bethany Lutheran College or Martin Luther College.

It is common for second generation families to attend MVL. The 2023-2024 year will be the first third generation of a family to attend. That says a lot for the work that is being done at the school.

There are 21 WELS congregations that help support MVL. Funds come from tuition, congregational offerings, 3rd source funding, individual donations, matching funds, estates, and memorials. The State of Minnesota does send money for textbooks.

Each of the 21 WELS congregations have MVL delegates that meet three times a year about budget and staffing. Depending on the size of the congregation determines how many delegates they can send. From these delegates, the MVL board is selected which consists of about 13-15 members.

MVL also works closely with other Christian schools. Plath explained, “There is a principal and administrator listserv where we can share information about our schools. This is done several times a week and discuss enrollment, staffing, and teaching loads.”

MVL also communicates with the State of Minnesota Nonpublic School Accrediting Association. “This is the organization that accredits and holds schools to standards regarding issues of curriculum and staffing,” said Plath.

Another organization that MVL is involved with is MINNDEPENDENT. “Over 150 private schools across the state are part of this organization. There is a conference once a year. We meet to discuss administrative issues, as well as ways in which we can better provide an education to the students in our care,” said Plath.

If you would like more information about MVL, please contact the school at (507) 354-6851 or check out their website at mvl.org.