Ozaukee Christian School Building Campaign

Local News:
Washington County Insider 
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
WDJT 

National News:
Boston 25 News 
Springfield News Sun 
WSB Radio 

Ozaukee Christian School is thrilled to announce it is moving to a new building, taking over a former strip club in the Town of Trenton. We reached an agreement to purchase the property from California-based Spearmint Rhino and hope to occupy the building in time for the start of the 2019-2020 school year.

The unusual building conversion is an answer to prayer that ends a years-long search for a building to call our own.

OCS — a non-denominational Christian school founded in 1990 — has leased several locations over the years. We’ve partnered with Portview Christian Church in Port Washington, Friedens Church in Port Washington, and most recently with St. John XXIII in Saukville for the last 19 years.

“We have felt God leading us to a building of our own that will allow us to grow, to expand our ability to work with special needs children and to reach more families in Washington County, all the while maintaining strong ties with our families in Ozaukee County,” said Kris Austin, OCS Administrator.  

The property will allow us to do all this and more. We are purchasing a strip mall that includes the former Spearmint Rhino Gentlemen’s Club that we will renovate into classrooms, offices, a cafeteria and a multi-purpose room. This initial phase will allow us to serve 125 students, double our current enrollment.  Future additions will include a gym with stage and locker rooms, and a new classroom wing, allowing growth up to 250 students.

“God has given the leadership of OCS a big vision for growth while providing us what we need for each step of this project,” said Dave Swartz, OCS Board President.

We are trusting God to provide the funds for this project, just as He cleared the way for us to buy this building. We have raised $425,000 so far and are seeking a total of $2.2 million to complete the purchase and initial renovation of the property.


How It Came to Be

After looking at over 80 different properties, several school leaders became independently aware the property in January 2017, and after visiting the site we felt it could be a great fit. We reached out to Spearmint but were initially told they weren’t interested in selling. In July 2017, however, the company reached out and offered to sell the building. We began meeting with architects and contractors to determine how this property could fit the school’s needs.  After completing preliminary plans, we launched an initial fundraising drive in April 2018 to gain support for this project. In the meantime, we have done prayer walks at the property with staff, parents and alumni. Students regularly gathered to pray for the process along with a group of 140 “email prayer warriors” doing the same.

After months of phone conversations, emails and the abundant prayers of God’s people, we were blessed with a signed purchase offer. We have enjoyed getting to know Mr. Peter Garrell (attorney for Spearmint) and Ms. Joann Castillo (senior executive assistant) over these many months — and praying with them as well. It is a journey unlike anything we could have imagined. It is a story that only God could write.


About Ozaukee Christian School

The cord of three strands – Home, Church, and School – working together drives our vision of cultivating the next generation to impact the world for God’s glory!  Since 1989, Ozaukee Christian School has provided independent, non-denominational, Christian education for grades 3K-8th.  Over 30 churches are represented by the staff and students residing in Ozaukee, Washington and Sheboygan counties.


How You Can Help

Anyone desiring to help with the funding of the building project or donating time/talent/materials to the renovation can contact the school through their website (click here)  or by calling the school office at [phone redacted].