Des Moines Christian School has released more details about its planned high school in Urbandale while launching a fundraising campaign for its ongoing construction.
Des Moines Christian’s new high school is expected to open for the 2027-28 school year at a new campus on Aurora Avenue, north of the current elementary, middle and high school at 13007 Douglas Parkway.
The 136,000-square-foot school with a capacity for 600 students is being built to handle increased enrollment. It will also include a competition gymnasium with seating for up to 2,000 people, according to a July 28 news release. The school also plans to add a wrestling program, instead of having its students compete through Johnston High School.
Cade Lambert, Des Moines Christian’s head of school, previously told the Register, “I can tell you right now we are really tight on space in our gyms for practices and games, as we’re trying to accommodate both middle school and high school programming, as well as physical education classes.”
The new gym will feature a college-sized basketball court that will be the hub for worship services and school assemblies in addition to athletics, according to the release.
What else will Des Moines Christian’s new high school have?
The rest of the new high school will be built to “inspire learning and connection, with collaborative spaces, abundant natural light, and outdoor learning environments,” according to the release.
Other features will include expanded college and career counseling, student academic support, more electives in the trades, computer engineering, culinary arts and entrepreneurship, a “HeBrews Coffee Shop” and dedicated spaces for wellness, music and student activities.
Future features on the campus being built on about 104 acres of former farmland may include athletic fields, community gathering spaces and additional learning environments. A master site plan on the school’s website shows a potential football or soccer field, baseball and softball diamonds, tennis courts and a track and field facility, as well as several unidentified new buildings.
How will Des Moines Christian pay for the new high school?
An anonymous donor paid the almost $7 million cost for Des Moines Christian to buy the land in 2024. On July 28, the school launched its “Build Today Plan for Tomorrow” fundraising campaign to pay for the $65 million campus through philanthropic support. More information is available at dmcs.org/buildtoday.
“Every generation has the opportunity to invest in the next one. This campus represents not only a commitment to our current families but also to the future of Des Moines Christian — a place where students receive a faith-based education that has the power to shape not only what students know, but who they become,” Lambert said in the release.
The school will also open an early childhood education center on Aug. 10, 2026, to provide more space for those programs. The early childhood center will have its own gym and playground.
Des Moines Christian is not the only Christian school expanding in the Des Moines metro.
Dowling Catholic High School, at 1400 Buffalo Road in West Des Moines, broke ground in May on a $76 million expansion that will include a new student union, a secure main entrance, expanded parking, a new entrance from 17th Street, a renovated cafeteria and a new arena main gym for sports and events. Dowling also has a fundraising campaign for its expansion.
Phillip Sitter covers the suburbs for the Des Moines Register. Phillip can be reached via email at PSitter@usatodayco.com. Find out more about him online in the Register’s staff directory
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines Christian shares new high school details, fundraising plan
Reporting by Phillip Sitter, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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By Phillip Sitter, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
