Private school expanding
Development director Tim Windemuth for Lake City Academy, a private Christian School in Coeur d'Alene, points out a classroom that needs to be finished as part of the $900,000 building project for the school. HANNAH NEFF/Press
This photo shows an unfinished classroom, part of the building project for Lake City Academy, a private Christian school in Coeur d'Alene. HANNAH NEFF/Press
This photo shows an unfinished classroom at Lake City Academy. The private Christian school in Coeur d'Alene is looking to finish the top story of their recent building expansion to accommodate new growth. HANNAH NEFF/Press
This photo shows Lake City Academy, a private Christian school in Coeur d'Alene. Development director Tim Windemuth said they are looking for donations to help complete the inside of the top story of the building. HANNAH NEFF/Press
Zimmerman
COEUR d'ALENE — Just two years after completing the bottom floor of its building expansion, Lake City Academy is continuing to grow.
The private Christian school off Locust Avenue in Coeur d’Alene has been serving the area for over 110 years, founded in 1909.
Principal Doug Zimmerman said finishing the top floor of the building comes with the need to expand.
“We would be super excited to make sure that we finish out these top rooms,” Zimmerman said. “That way we could continue to be a light to this community and be able to give more students a chance to an excellent Christian education.”
The school has over 220 students enrolled through its early education program, kindergarten through eighth-grade classes, and satellite Upper Columbia Academy high campus school.
Zimmerman said they have waiting lists for all of their classes except two. He said finishing the top floor will add capacity for roughly 120 more students.
The floor includes six classrooms and two bathrooms, along with the elevator room. Zimmerman said most of the hard work is done as far as framing and there is plumbing running to the upstairs. The classrooms still need to be walled in and furnished, and the bathrooms need completing.
Once the top floor of the building is completed, the upper grade levels will move upstairs and bottom grade levels will occupy the bottom floor.
Zimmerman said they need to put in the elevator to meet disability compliance in order to use the top floor.
The cost for the project is $900,000.
Lake City Academy is owned by the Upper Columbia Conference of Seventh-day Adventist and supported by area constituent Adventist churches.
Ted Windemuth, development director, said they have just under $200,000 of funds pledged, with $150,000 in funds on hand.
He said they’ll keep working on the building as they have the funds.
“As the money comes in we would like to move forward,” Windemuth said.
The school also is $900,000 in debt from past building expenses, with over $300,000 in funds pledged to help cover that. Windemuth said complications that arose during the project drove costs higher than expected.
To keep the expansion moving along, Windemuth said they’re looking for people or corporations to invest in the school. Because they are a nonprofit, donations qualify for a tax write off.
Windemuth said they would also be grateful for contractors or companies who are willing to make a donation or give them a cost break.
“I want to get it done so we can get kids in here to go to school,” Windemuth said. “We have so many people who want to get into school but we can’t take them.”
The school is hosting its eighth annual Jerry and Francis Wilson Memorial golf tournament fundraiser on April 25, along with Palisades Christian Academy in Spokane, Wash.
The fundraiser costs $150 per person and will be held at The Floating Green at The Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course.
Info: Lake City Academy at 208-667-0877 or email frontoffice@lakecityacademy.
