In many ways, the history of Immanuel School coincides with the history of Immanuel Church. Freeport has had a large German population since the mid-1800s. There had been a German-language School in Freeport since 1865. Many of the families that attended St. John’s Evangelical Church sent their children to it. Therefore, many of the future Immanuel Church members were used to the concept of a private school. The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod that the Immanuel Congregation joined encouraged parochial schools. They were seen as a way of preserving culture and training children in spiritual matters. The new Immanuel Lutheran Church dedicated its new building on September 2, 1877 and used it that Sunday for worship services. The next day, it was used for a school with the pastor as the teacher.

In 1886, a new church building was erected so that the school had exclusive use of the old building. This continued until 1900. Then, a large brick church was built. The 1886 church became the school. A second story was added to the old frame building to allow for increased enrollment. Two teachers taught: the upper grades met upstairs and the lower grades met downstairs. A stove in the basement floor heated that old structure. The stairs to the upper class went outside along the building. Instruction was in both English and German, depending on the year and the course of study.

The congregation took a great step forward in 1923. It built a large brick school across from its new church. The school contained four spacious classrooms, each with a wall of windows, high tin ceilings, wooden trim, closets, and cloakrooms. Also a gymnasium with a stage at one end and a wooden basketball court, a motion picture projection booth, indoor washrooms and locker rooms, an equipped kitchen, a modern furnace, a soda fountain, and two bowling alleys made Immanuel a modern school and recreation center for the community. This school was used until newly implemented fire-safety codes made the building too expensive to maintain. It was sold to the Freeport Area Church Cooperative and is used as a thrift store, a food pantry, a counseling center, and a homeless shelter.

The school move to the west edge of town predated the church move by nine years. The new school is the one currently being used. It houses five regular classrooms, a large gym, a kitchen and cafeteria, and office space. It is situated on ten acres of land in a newly developing area of Freeport. Increased enrollment over the past few years has seen combined grades split. Former office and storage areas are used as classrooms. Two classrooms meet in the church building. An addition to the school, scheduled to be completed in 1997, will alleviate those problems and allow for new programs.

Since the move, another change has taken place. The school has changed from an all-member parochial school to a parochial school that welcomes children from many backgrounds. Even members are charged tuition now. Nearly half of the student body consists of non-Lutheran Christians. Less than half of the students are Immanuel members. When Immanuel member children are added to other Lutherans, they still constitute over half of the school population. listeners through our Sunday morning radio show.

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