In the 16 years Southwest Christian High School has been in existence, students have attended classes in the basement of two churches, a community center, and most recently, the former Nordic Track factory in Chaska.
Physical education classes sometimes took place in a parking lot while a refurbished janitor's closet once doubled for a temporary classroom. And things like air-conditioning and heating have been sketchy at best in some of the school's past incarnations.
But all the hardships endured by Southwest Christian's band of nomadic students, teachers and administrators are about to be erased by the Sept. 4 opening of the school's new campus, which will feature many of the modern amenities the other buildings lacked.
For example, it will have state-of-the-art science labs, a large, multi-purpose commons area, a media center with Wi-Fi and a gymnasium capable of holding more than 500 people.
"From a building sense, we've got more space to grow and the opportunity to add more programs that will really enhance the education we're able to provide," said Dan Beckering, head of school. "In that regard, life will be dramatically different."
The new campus, which sits on a former piece of farmland just south of Hwy. 212 on Bavaria Road, was part of the founders' original vision for a private Christian high school. But fundraising took time, as did finding a suitable piece of property in the west metro area. Then the recession hit, forcing school leaders to bide their time even longer.
Today, about 190 students are enrolled in the school, which will have the capacity to house more than double that amount. Administrators expect enrollment to increase, acknowledging that some families might have been slightly put off by the school's former facilities.
"No doubt those facilities did shape some first impressions, but I've always been willing to put our students and teachers up against anyone in terms of the quality of education we offer here," Beckering said.
