Stillwater Christian School plans expansion with $5 million donation

Stillwater Christian School marked a back-to-school open house last week by celebrating a $5 million donation for a building expansion from local businessman Paul Wachholz. 

Head of School Laura McCollum described Stillwater’s achievements and continued growth as a visible reminder of God’s grace to an audience of families, students and staff, referring to Deuteronomy 27:1-8 and Joshua 4:1-9. 

“We thank God for His faithfulness in sustaining our ministry and programs over the last 40 years with Jesus as our chief cornerstone, that term is found especially in Ephesians 2:20, we pray that you might see evidence of our enduring commitment to serve our students and community with passion and faithfulness, as though each day were our last,” McCollum said. “Moreover, we hope that you might also be compelled to continue to partner with us through prayer, support and other resources as needed to plan as though the world might last another 100 years.”  

The proposed addition will include elementary classrooms and a multipurpose gym for the private preschool through 12th-grade school in South Kalispell. The expansion will add an estimated 19,000 square feet to the campus.  

Proposed plans also include a site reconfiguration to improve student drop-off/pick-up and increase parking. The school aims to raise an additional $350,000 to buy two buses and build a bus barn. 

Currently, preschool through fifth grade is housed in a separate building adjacent to the middle and high school building. The tentative plan is to relocate Stillwater’s youngest students into the new addition. Although grade configurations haven’t been determined yet, one idea is to relocate preschool, kindergarten and first grade to the addition. 

Currently, kindergarten and first grade are located on the basement level of the existing building. 

“They’re just not ideal classrooms for kids so it’s a wonderful opportunity,” Stillwater Elementary Principal David Sutton said. 

“We’re still in the beginning stages of concept design and development with LSW Architects,” McCollum said. 

A new multipurpose gym will provide the school with more scheduling flexibility. The current gym is used for P.E. classes, chapel, music concerts, middle and high school volleyball in the fall, and middle and high school girl’s and boy’s basketball in the winter. 

“It’s a game changer for the whole school because as of right now we have one gymnasium,” Athletic Director Andy Harrel said. “It’s our biggest meeting space for everything.” 

Holding her 1-year-old, parent Libby Nemes looked at a display of architectural drawings while her other children played on the nearby soccer field. A former Stillwater student, she has a kindergartner and third grader attending the school. Touring the elementary building proved nostalgic.  

“My kindergartner is in the room that I was in in kindergarten,” she said smiling, adding that it would be exciting if any of her children get to be in the new addition. 

McCollum anticipates construction to start in the summer with students and staff occupying the new addition by fall 2026. 

Stillwater’s last major construction project was a 10,800-square-foot expansion in 2015 that added six high school classrooms, a lobby/commons area and a conference room. The current proposal is to expand off that addition as part of an overarching plan to modify Stillwater in phases as funding becomes available. 

IN JULY Stillwater received a $437,629 donation from Ralph and Mary Ann (Corley) Hemp of the Hemp-Corley Foundation, which will go toward Stillwater’s tuition assistance program.  

More than 60% of Stillwater families receive a form of tuition assistance, McCollum said, with ongoing fundraising efforts by the Parent Teacher Organization, for example, to help defray tuition costs so that “any godly family who’s interested in a covenantal discipleship school like Stillwater can come.”  

“The incredible fact that 52 of our currently enrolled students are the children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren of those who have attended [Stillwater] in the past, illustrates the faithfulness of God to sustain our ministry, as well as the continuing power and potency of our founding mission and vision,” McCollum said during her speech. “Stillwater’s focus on scripture, character and service is both distinctive and noble amidst a society that has relinquished the nurture of children and young people to the often destructive and corrupt messages of social media, modern music, entertainment and other pervasive cultural influencers.” 

Both Wachholz and the Hemps are part of that familial connection to Stillwater. The Hemps, parents of McCollum, have two grandchildren who graduated from Stillwater in 2010 and 2014. Wachholz’ has a great-granddaughter who attends Stillwater.  

This is not Wachholz’ first donation to Kalispell’s educational institutions. Last year, he donated $4 million to Flathead Valley Community College’s future entrepreneurship center. In 2022, the community college opened the doors on the Wachholz College Center. 

Wachholz is giving back to the Kalispell community where he spent a successful business career founding a real estate firm and starting a company that went on to become Fun Beverage.  

“I came to the Flathead Valley with a Volkswagen and $100 [in 1967],” Wachholz said after the big announcements were made and people filed by, thanking him. “I made a lot of people successful … but those are the very people that made me successful. And the giving back is one of the things that is a natural thing to do.  

“And to me, our country is struggling with Christianity … there’s no better time to teach the word of God at the elementary school level.” 

FOR A moment during her speech, McCollum’s voice wavered with emotion as she expressed gratitude to the donors asking the audience to join her in giving thanks. Her request was met with applause — and a few amens. 

“This is a tremendous milestone and moment in the life of Stillwater Christian School. May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to be the cornerstone and foundation of our school for the next 40 years and beyond,” McCollum said before inviting people to join in the Lord’s Prayer. 

“Once again, thank you for joining us. We just couldn't wait to tell you. It's been really hard to keep this secret,” she said. 

McCollum, who has served as interim head of school since October, has accepted a five-year contract to continue in the position. 

“Since we've had a number of leaders throughout the last several years, we felt like it would be a blessing to have some stability,” she said. 

Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com. 

    Architectural renderings showing an expansion project at Stillwater Christian School after a back-to-school open house event where it was announced Kalispell businessman Paul Waccholz was donating $5 million towards the project. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Kalispell businessman Paul Wachholz smiles while receiving a gift from Laura McCollum, head of school at Stillwater Christian School, during a back-to-school open house where it was announced Wachholz was donating $5 million to build an addition on Tuesday, Sept. 3. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider