St. Joseph Christian eyes new era with $10 million expansion project nearing the finish line

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- A multi-million dollar expansion effort for St. Joseph's largest private school is quickly rounding into form on Gene Field Road.

Students and faculty at St. Joseph Christian will be welcomed back this school year to a large-scale, 23,000-square-foot facility nearing completion, a long-term boost for academics, athletics and the school's growing enrollment.

"We've had various remodels and expansions and changes over the years, but this is definitely our largest to date," said Glory Fagan, St. Joseph Christian director of development. "Our current enrollment is a little over 500, and with this, our capacity will actually rise to about 700.”

Called Nehemiah 2.0, the project is headlined by a new 1,100-seat gymnasium with a mezzanine, a facility that will pair with a 650-seat gym already in place, in addition to new locker rooms, a commons area, concessions and five new classrooms, including a music room.

Once finished, spectators will be able to stand on the mezzanine and view both gyms, which will be partially separated by a wall, providing enough space for three different games to take place concurrently.

"The hope is that our Christmas program will be able to be held here. So that's in December. That's the big hope," she said.

Two new video scoreboards will also be constructed on the southwest and northeast corners of the gymnasium, allowing for instant replay and fan engagement opportunities.

"If we have a graduation or a program, they'll be able to see, you know, little Johnny on the big screen," Fagan said.

Fundraising efforts for the project kicked off in October of 2023 with an initial budget of around $9.3 million, a price that grew with the addition of an elevator for improved accessibility. Fagan said the school has roughly $300,000 in funds left to secure.

The interdenominational school provides biblically-based education for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, growing from around 300 students pre-2020 to roughly 500 students now.

"When COVID-19 hit, we didn't know if the bottom would drop out or what. But as it turned out, we had exponential growth. And so we soon saw the need for expansion. And, you know, we're building for the future."

The 2025-26 school year is scheduled to begin Aug. 19 for grades first through 12th. Kindergarteners will start school the next day.

Fagan praised an extensive list of donors for helping make the project possible, to the benefit of current and future classes of Lions.

"We've had some generous donors, we've had some grants, we've had people who've given a little bit monthly, just in every fashion," she said. "Every bit of it has been donated."