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	March 28, 2005 .................... LCMSNews -- No. 20

	Schools continue to be effective in outreach, Cochran says

	Statistics for the 2004-05 academic year show that schools
operated by LCMS congregations ?continue to be effective in Christian
outreach,? says William Cochran, director of School Ministry with the
Synod?s Board for District and Congregational Services.

	Cochran made that observation in comments during the March 7
chapel service at the Synod?s International Center, which marked the
March 6-11 International Lutheran Schools Week 2005 observance.

	The school-ministry office that week mailed its report on
2004-05 statistics to Lutheran schools and others.

	Cochran said he based his observation on the reported numbers of
Lutheran school children and their parents who were added to sponsoring
congregations? membership rolls.

	In the year since September 2003, according to the 2004-05
statistics, schools reported that 3,737 students were baptized, 2,485 of
their parents or guardians were baptized or confirmed, and 3,803
transferred their membership to sponsoring congregations.

	Although those figures are down from the statistics reported for
the previous year, Cochran said he believes the current statistics are
more accurate, since for the first time they were collected first by
education executives in the districts before being compiled by the LCMS
Office of Rosters and Statistics.

	?I?m confident that a fair year-to-year comparison of these
statistics can only be made next year this time, after we have the
2005-2006 school year?s numbers,? he said.

	The current statistics show that for this school year there are
a total of 2,526 schools operated by Lutheran congregations and 183
operated by associations of congregations. Of those schools, 1,397 are
early-childhood centers, 1,028 elementary schools, and 101 high schools.
A total of 3,527 LCMS congregations (or 59 percent of all LCMS
congregations) operate schools or early-childhood centers.

	Of the 288,314 students reported to be enrolled this year,
17,322 are at full-day child-care centers, 108,032 are pre-kindergarten
students, 143,322 are in kindergarten through grade eight, and 19,638
are in grades nine-12. Additionally, enrollment in before- or
after-school care programs comes to 48,790.

	The average Lutheran elementary school, according to the 2004-05
statistics, has nine full-time teachers and 140 students, for a ratio of
16 students per teacher; the average high school has 15 full-time
teachers and 214 students.

	For church affiliation, 40 percent of all students are from LCMS
congregations that operate their schools, 5 percent from other LCMS
congregations, 4 percent are from other Lutheran churches, 35 percent
non-Lutheran churches, and 16 percent (or 46,130) are unchurched.

	On average, early-childhood centers reported that for 2004-05,
13 percent of their funding is from congregations? budgets, 80 percent
from tuition and fees, and 7 percent from other sources. For elementary
schools, 42 percent of funding is from congregations? budgets, 48
percent from tuition and fees, and 10 percent from other sources. For
high schools, 7 percent of funding is from congregations? budgets, 68
percent from tuition and fees, and 25 percent from other sources.

	The average annual required fees of elementary schools (grades
one-eight) for 2004-05 is $1,702 for members of operating congregations
and $2,808 for non-members. For high schools, those average fees are
$5,083 for members and $5,908 for non-members.

	The report indicates that there are a total of 18,000 teachers
and administrators in all Lutheran schools and early-childhood centers
for the 2004-05 school year.

	The average starting salary for new teachers at Lutheran schools
this year is given at $23,742.

	This year?s statistics also list 48 Lutheran early-childhood
centers with enrollments of 190 or higher, 52 elementary schools with at
least 400 students, and 21 high schools with 300 or more students.

	Rockford Lutheran High School, Rockford, Ill., is the high
school listed as having the largest enrollment (1,212 students), and St.
John Lutheran School, Orange, Calif., has 809 students ? the highest
among Lutheran elementary schools.

	The latest Lutheran-school statistics also are available via the
Web. To download the statistical report, go to www.lcms.org,
<http://www.lcms.org,>	click on ?Ministry Areas,? ?District and
Congregational Services,? then on ?School Ministry,? ?School
Ministry
Information,? and finally on ?Statistics for the 2004-2005 School
Year.

	***************************************

	If you have questions or comments about this LCMSNews release,
contact Joe Isenhower Jr. at joe.isenhower@lcms.org or (314) 996-1231,
or Paula Schlueter Ross at paula.ross@lcms.org or (314) 996-1230.

	***************************************

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