SCHOOL COMPLETES EXPANSION PROJECT
A new 4-year-old-preschool classroom was added to St. Francis de Sales Parish School as part of an expansion project.
St. Francis de Sales Parish School now has a combination sixth-grade classroom and stream lab as part of a recently-completed expansion project.
St. Francis de Sales Parish School students came back to more classroom space and new learning equipment when they returned for the 2026-27 school year, which began Aug. 26.
A 3,500-square-foot, two-story expansion project, which includes a new 4-year-old preschool, fifth-grade and seventh-grade classroom, along with a combination sixth-grade classroom and STREAM — science, technology, religion, engineering, art and mathematics — lab, has been added to the building at 130 W. Main St. in Lake Geneva.
Principal David Wieters said staff spent the past several weeks preparing the space.
"The classrooms are ready for move in," Wieters said. "We got teachers' desks, student desks and equipment all moved in."
Wieters said that with the expanded space, all classrooms now will be inside the building. Previously, three of the classes were held at the adjoining St. Francis de Sales Parish Center.
The 4-year-old-preschool classroom is now next to the 3-year-old-preschool classroom, with a door that provides access to both rooms.
"They can now do things together," Wieters said. "They can possibly have 4K kids that need to nap go in the 3-year-old-preschool classroom and the 3K kids that don't need to nap come to the 4-year-old-preschool class."
Some of the equipment featured in the STREAM lab includes a 3D printer, coding unit and drone unit. Wieters said some of that equipment also will be available to other classrooms.
"It's going to give the kids a lot of hands-on opportunities and a lot of integrated equipment, which will be exciting and very educational," Wieters said. "I'm looking forward to the drone unit, myself."
The project also included installing an elevator and renovating the upper-level restrooms. A classroom space was converted into a teachers' workroom.
"Now, the teachers have their own work area and meeting area," Wieters said.
School officials broke ground on the project in November with the goal of having it completed before the 2026-27 school year.
Wieters is glad that goal has been met.
"It is a combination of being relieved and being excited," Wieters said. "My biggest fear was if we didn't get it done, how were we going to start the school year. So, a weight has kind of been lifted off my shoulders."
Wieters hopes the expansion will encourage more parents to enroll their children in the school.
"Families may see we're building for the future and that, in and of itself, makes for a wonderful opportunity," Wieters said. "The stream lab is going to enable us to do more than what we've done in the past."
St. Francis de Sales Parish School includes students from 3-year-old preschool to eighth grade, with an enrollment of about 130 students.
