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Accreditation

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A Tradition of Excellence

First Lutheran School is a member of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS). The LCMS believes education should address the whole person – body, mind, and spirit- beginning in early childhood and continuing through higher education. Through early childhood programs, elementary schools and high schools, the congregations of LCMS are dedicated to providing a solid Lutheran education for our children by operating the largest Protestant parochial system in America. Every morning, more than 1,200 early childhood centers and preschools, operated by LCMS congregations open their doors welcoming more than 87,000 children, ranging in age from infant/toddler to 5 years of ages. Additionally, our congregations operate 880 elementary schools which serve approximately 113,000 students.

Accreditation

The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod has established the standards for accrediting our school. National Lutheran School Accreditation (NLSA) is a process of self-evaluation in preparation for a visit of trained educators. NLSA is a rigorous national accrediting process designed to evaluate schools based on their unique purpose as Lutheran Schools. It helps schools evaluate not only the quality of their academics and programs, but also most importantly the spiritual dimension of the school. The standards and reports are similar to those used by other accrediting agencies, both secular and religious.

First Lutheran School has been accredited since 1991. We have proven compliance with NLSA's educational standards and are a member in good standing. Schools working toward accreditation must complete a comprehensive self-study, host a site visit team of educators outside the school every five years, and develop and implement a school improvement plan to maintain accreditation. The school files an annual report detailing their progress in meeting their goals and staying in compliance with the NLSA standards.

Standards to be met include:

  1. The School’s Purpose
  2. The School’s Relationship with the Congregation
  3. The School’s Relationship with the Home
  4. The School’s Relationship with Students
  5. The School’s Relationship with the Community
  6. The School’s Climate
  7. School Governance & Administration
  8. Professional Personnel
  9. Curriculum
  10. Instruction
  11. Student Services
  12. Physical Facilities

First Lutheran was fully accredited following the visit of the NLSA Accreditation Team in 2023. The Accreditation Team visits every 5 years. The annual School Improvement Plan is available on request from the school office.

What Our Parents Say

FLS has been a blessing to partner with as parents. Here are the top reasons we love FLS: 1. They provide a truly Christian education 2. The class sizes are small and teacher to student ratio provides for plenty of genuine feedback 3. The teachers truly and evidently care about our son 4. The facilities and classrooms are large and well equipped 5. The support from the church to the school is excellent, including prayer pals and a pastor who is involved in weekly Chapels 6. The smaller size of the school overall allows our son to interact with students both older and younger than him, providing informal mentoring and leadership opportunities 7. Although each student has their own Chromebook or computer and they do use them, the majority of student work is completed with hard copy books, workbooks, paper and pencil, which is well researched as the best leaning method for children 8. There are ample opportunities for families to be involved such as PTO fundraisers, volunteer events, and field trips 9. Communication with families is high including fliers, Praxi, email, and FB. 10. The specials classes and extracurriculars are solid including art, music, STEAM, PE, and lots of after school sports. Highly recommend FLS!

- Lisa, parent

My son has attended this school for 3 years now, and all I can say is what a blessing this school has been for my son. The teachers are very caring, have helped my son in so many ways. The school has been extremely accommodating to my son's disabilities (autism and adhd) as well. We as a team have watched my son develop and thrive in his academics.

- Yolanda, parent

My son has been attending this school for 2 1/2 years, and it's been a wonderful experience. We really appreciate the strong sense of community and family. The Christian values integrated throughout the day are something I deeply value, and the acceptance of the Step Up scholarship makes this private Christian education very affordable. Even though we aren't Lutheran, we've felt so welcomed, and I've personally learned a lot by attending the student chapel service with my son. He's excelling in his studies and even has the opportunity to take 2 classes with the next grade up! He and I thank God every day for his school and teachers.

- Carolina, parent

Very welcoming school. Treats our childlike family. It's hard to find good a good genuine school like this nowadays.

- Joe, parent

I am a graduate of FLS along with my son who is currently attending high school. He is in all honors classes and my daughter who currently attends FLS is also an honor-roll student. If you are looking for a school where your child receives 1:1 interactions with teachers and faculty; has large classrooms but smaller class sizes look no further. It's a hidden gem; the values and faith based teachings are what is needed especially today. We love FLS and will be sad once our daughter graduates.

- CC, parent

Great school! Have brought our daughter there since she was 2, she's loves it! Really seen her grow, thank you FLS

- Jessica, parent

We love First Lutheran School! Our boys have enjoyed their experience, and they love their teachers. We would highly recommend it!

- John, parent