St. Marcus Lutheran School Dedicates Newly Renovated, Expanded Campus Building to Mark $25 Million Capital Campaign

MILWAUKEE – In culmination of its $25 million Courage to Commit capital campaign, St. Marcus Lutheran School held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, Sept. 23 to dedicate the newly renovated and expanded Karl J. Schlueter Campus on Burleigh Street.

Formerly known as the school’s Burleigh Street Campus, the building was renamed to honor Karl J. Schlueter and his family, who provided a $6 million gift as part of the Courage to Commit campaign that helped fund final renovations to provide a new learning space for 300 middle school scholars. The campus currently serves 383 K4-6th-grade scholars and will accommodate up to 584 K4-8th-grade scholars at full capacity. With this growth, the school’s total enrollment across all three campuses is projected to exceed 1,500 scholars.

Karl Schlueter, who was the founder and owner of Karl’s Event Rental, passed away in 2018 and was a long-time supporter of St. Marcus, regularly providing financial support as well as being a fierce advocate for its mission of providing a high-quality Christian education to Milwaukee’s urban youth.

“We love the life-changing effect St. Marcus has on its scholars and scholars’ families. We are excited to honor my father by naming the campus after him,” said Eric Schlueter, Karl’s son.

St. Marcus operates three campuses within a few city blocks of each other, serving scholars in K3 through eighth grade. In addition to the 80,000-square-foot Karl J. Schlueter Campus, the school’s North Avenue Campus, 2215 N. Palmer St., serves 582 scholars, while its Center Street Campus, 2669 N. Richards St., serves 333 scholars.

Tuesday’s event celebrated “The Campus that Friends Built” and honored both the Schlueter family’s investment in the school, in addition to that of all donors and community partners that helped make the Courage to Commit campaign a success.

Third-floor renovations at the Karl J. Schlueter Campus began in October 2024 and were completed this summer, in time for the start of the new school year. The renovated building allows scholars in K4-8th grades to have their own campus to learn, grow, and thrive in a Christian education.

“We are deeply grateful for the support of the Schlueter family and all of our donors and community partners,” said Henry Tyson, Superintendent of St. Marcus Lutheran School. “Their extraordinary support of the Courage to Commit campaign is allowing our school to grow in a transformative way that provides tremendous opportunities for the scholars and families that we serve and further builds our foundation of serving the community around us.”

The Courage to Commit Campaign launched in 2018 and focused on providing financial support needed for the ongoing growth of St. Marcus School. St. Marcus continues to serve as a catalyst, leader, and community anchor through partnerships with organizations that share a proven track record of a commitment to excellence, consistent use of best practices, and a reputation for doing whatever it takes to connect urban, St. Marcus school families with resources and opportunities that create prosperity.

A healthy and prosperous learning community will promote high student achievement, comprehensive quality childcare, and community revitalization for a safe, loving, and prosperous Harambee.

$25 million was raised for the acquisition and renovation of the Karl J. Schlueter Campus.

About St. Marcus School
St. Marcus is a Christian, high-expectations choice school, part of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, serving over 1,200 students from grades K3 to 8th, across three campuses located in the Brewers Hill and Harambee neighborhoods. Students are predominantly low-income African-American students. As a nationally recognized leader in urban education reform, St. Marcus empowers individuals, children and families to overcome challenges and reach their full potential. Graduating students are fully prepared for high school and positioned to excel in higher education, including university academics, the trades, the military and as leaders in their communities.

• 91% African American
• 86% low income
• 96% choice program
• 89% high school graduation rate
• 84% student return rate

The Christian focus and no-excuses approach encourages growth in wisdom, dedication and self-discipline. For more information about the mission of St. Marcus School, please visit www.stmarcus.org/school.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.