1st Day of School 1984.
In July 2011, Salt Lake Lutheran High School officially changed its name to Concordia Preparatory School.
Salt Lake Lutheran High School was founded on December 31, 1983 with the purpose of providing a quality Lutheran high school education to the children and families of the Salt Lake area Lutheran congregations. The original and continued mission of the school is to offer a rigorous, college-prep academic program; diverse co-curricular activities; and as its primary focus – teaching God’s true and inspired Word and sharing the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the students enrolled and their families.
The school’s first location was at St. John’s Lutheran Church at 475 East Herbert Avenue. Lutheran High opened its doors for the 1984-85 school year with 23 students in the 9th and 10th grades. The first administrator of the school was Mr. Eugene Kollander. God blessed the early years of Lutheran High with faithful supporters, a dedicated teaching staff, and wonderful students.
Over the years, there have been several Lutheran congregations which have been members of the association of congregations at one time or another. These association congregations own and operate Lutheran High School. Currently, there are six congregations which are members of the association. They include: Christ Lutheran Church, Murray; Cross of Christ Lutheran Church, Bountiful; First Lutheran Church, Tooele; Grace Lutheran Church, Sandy; Redeemer Lutheran Church, Salt Lake City; and St. John’s Lutheran Church, Salt Lake City.
In February 1994, Lutheran High moved to its current location at 4020 South 900 East. The very next year, they acquired and installed the basketball court and goals that the Utah Jazz NBA Basketball team used during their stay in the Salt Palace prior to moving the team to the Delta Center. This floor is still in use today.
In October 2000, the board of directors adopted a new mission statement for Lutheran High School. It reads, “Lutheran High School is built upon the grace of God in Jesus Christ. Motivated by God’s merciful Word, we are a community that proclaims the Christian faith, provides an excellent academic program, and promotes an environment that leads to success.”
In 2000, the entire exterior of the building was repainted giving it a new and inviting appearance. In the summer of 2003, a new music room was added to the exterior of the building. The new surroundings have enhanced an always-strong music program at Lutheran High. The Soli Deo Gloria handbell choir has toured and performed many times throughout the Salt Lake Valley, and the band and chorus have also had a rich history of quality performances. In 2004, Lutheran High was granted National Lutheran Schools Accreditation to join its existing accreditation by the state of Utah and the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools.
Since 2005, there have been many improvements to facilities and programs. Physical improvements have included new SMARTBoards; new carpeting; new science, computer and art furnishings; and soon new energy-efficient lighting. In addition to the college-prep offerings, several new and diverse elective offerings have been added including aviation, computer aided drafting, cooking, guitar, outdoor education & survival, and piano to name a few.
In the 2008-09 school year, Salt Lake Lutheran High School celebrated its 25th anniversary of providing an excellent, Christian, college-prep education to students and families in the Salt Lake Valley. A substantial written history booklet was prepared for that year of celebration. If you are interested in obtaining a copy of that booklet, please contact us at Lutheran High. We look forward to many more years of serving the greater Salt Lake community!
Administrators of Lutheran High School:
1984-88 Eugene Kolander
1988-89 E. Glen Smith
1989-90 Robert Lemann
1990-93 Lester Zimmerman
1993-94 Dennis Haberhern
1994-97 Eugene Kolander
1997-98 E. Glen Smith
1998-00 Richard Klatt
2000-05 Craig Swanson
2005-11 Charles Gebhardt
Administrators of Concordia Preparatory School:
2011- Darren Morrison