Contact: Joel Hochmuth, Director of Communications, WELS, 414-256-3230, joel.hochmuth@sab.wels.net; Stacey McClenathan, Bee-line Communications, Inc., 847-668-0900, stacey@beecommunications.com

MILWAUKEE, Wisc., Feb. 29 /Christian Newswire/ -- Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS)--the state's second largest private school system composed of 527 schools teaching 42,000 students--will celebrate National Lutheran Schools Week this March 2nd through 8th.

Headquartered in Wauwatosa, WELS currently has nearly 1,300 congregations and 400,000 active members living in all 50 U.S. states and Canada.

Many of the more than 500 WELS preschools, elementary schools, high schools and colleges can be found in southeast Wisconsin, including St. Marcus Lutheran School, Christ-St. Peter Lutheran Schools, The Hope Schools, Garden Homes Lutheran School in Milwaukee.

Students at WELS schools have typically earned higher achievement test scores than national averages. In fall 2007, WELS students scored in the 72 percentile in reading for both grades 4 and 8 and in the 78 percentile for 8th grade math. In reading, language, mathematics, science and social studies, WELS' national average scores were in the 65 percentile and above.

But WELS schools aren't just about test scores. "Education without values is like a car without an engine or wheels. It simply won't get you where you want to go," says WELS President Rev. Mark Schroeder. "We believe in Christian education, because our faith in Christ is at the heart and center of who we are and what we do. We believe that an education system built on faith in Christ is one that gives children what is most valuable in life."

To find the nearest WELS school to you, please visit http://wels.locatorsearch.com/

ABOUT WELS:
Characterized as theologically conservative, WELS (www.wels.net) and is the third largest Lutheran church body in America. Started in 1850 by three German pastors in Milwaukee, today WELS has grown to nearly 1,300 congregations in North America, including 400,000 baptized members served by more than 1,000 pastors. National offices can be found at 2929 N. Mayfair Rd., Milwaukee, Wisconsin.