LUMIN Schools (LUMIN) was founded in 2002 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation in response to the alarming number of Lutheran schools that had recently closed or were in danger of closing in Milwaukee’s urban community. LUMIN’s organizers determined to reverse that trend by developing a network of high-performing schools focused on academic excellence, leadership development and spiritual growth; and supported by human care and social services designed to address the numerous “barriers to learning” confronted by urban students.
Today, LUMIN operates four schools in Milwaukee, a two-campus school in Racine, one school in Gary, Ind., and a new school set to open in Beloit, Wis., in August 2019. Nearly 100 percent of LUMIN's students come from low-income families who participate in the Parental Choice Programs. All of LUMIN's Wisconsin schools were rated Exceeds Expectations or Significantly Exceeds Expectations by the Department of Public Instruction's most recent statewide report card.