The mission of the school is to prepare people for their future as adults. The expectation of students and their parents is to be provided with a solid general education allowing graduates to study further at a college. The mission and the expectation of a bilingual school would be to give additional language education which would broaden students’ options even further. J.A. Comenius Lutheran High School is a Christian school and its strong ecumenical dimension makes it unique in Slovakia. This is one of the reasons why the school is named after J.A. Comenius – a clergyman of the Union of Brethren who taught how various Christians can become one body and treat each other with love and wisdom, based on equality before God. Comenius’ educational philosophy leads to God and belief in Jesus Christ, it leads to a respect towards those, thinking differently.
The same idea became our mission and formed the goal of our school, having been founded by the initiative of five Protestant churches in our town: the Lutheran church of the Augsburg Confession, the Reformed church, the Apostolic Church, the Brethren Church and the Brethren Unity of Baptists It can be attended by students of various denominations, with the only condition of respecting the Christian character of the educational process.
On September 1st, 1994, it was officially recognized among schools in the Slovak Republic as an eight-year and five-year Slovak-English grammar school, after the consent of the Ministry of Education on November 22nd, 1993. The General Bishop’s Office of the Lutheran church in Slovakia became the main founder of the school.
Mgr. Jan Kunca became the principal of the school on January 6th, 1994, and the bishop of the VD ECAV, Mgr. J. Midriak gave the speech on the opening ceremony. During the following three years the school was located in borrowed premises on Galakticka Street, but when they became too limited to the increasing number of students, with tremendous help and understanding of the Jewish Community in Košice as well as the local authorities, we were provided a building at Puskinova Street 3, where a basic school used to be run. The building required complete reconstruction, which was being provided by volunteers only, and the maintenance process, costing 2 million Slovak crowns, was finished in an unbelievable seven-week time by August 20th, 1997. Next school-year 1997/98 started in the renewed building on Puskinova Street.
Mgr. Valéria Butkovičová was the principal of the school from September 1st,2001 until June 30th, 2006. Mgr.Tatiana Sabolová, RNDr. Valéria Kocurová and RNDr. Mária Velebná were the vice-principals over that term.
Ing.Jozef Krištan became the principal of the school on August 1st,2006, RNDr. Valéria Kocurová a RNDr. Mária Velebná filled the vice-principals posts. The school signed a tenancy contract with the City Council in June 2007 and was entitled to use the school facilities on Skultetyho 10. We started the moving out process on August 1st,2007. Thanks to enormous endeavour of the principal and other employees of the school alongside of the parents of our students and students themselves we were able to start the school year of 2007/2008 in half-reconstructed building in time. Other construction works and refurbishments of e.g. windows, classrooms and laboratory rooms took place throughout the entire year. The rest of the work was done during the summer holidays.
In September 2011 RNDr. Mária Velebná was replaced by Mgr.Sandra Mrázová, who became the vice-principal of the school.
At the present time, the administration of the school is represented by Ing.Jozef Krištan, the principal, RNDr.Valéria Kocurová and Mgr.Sandra Mrázová, who are the vice-principals.
The spiritual leaders who influenced the development of the school were: Mgr.Ondrej Kolárovský, Mgr. Darina Kusnirova (Brehuvova), Mgr.Karol Vercimak, PaedDr.Dusan Havrila. The recent spiritual leader of the school is Mgr. Frantisek Korecko.
Currently, there are five pastors teaching Lutheran religion at school, namely Mgr.Samuel Linkesch, Mgr. Jan Semjan, Mgr. Stanislav Kocka, Mgr. Ondrej Kolárovský and PaedDr.Dusan Havrila.In addition to the 44 full-time teachers (3 of them are teachers from the USA), there are 9 part-time teachers.
There are many times more applicants to enter the school than the possible accepted number.
Our school does have a short history. It has existed for 21 years, but is already recognized by the public in eastern Slovakia and has a good reputation among similar types of schools. The school constantly reminds itself of the education, equaling the wish of the psalmist:
“May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown, our daughters like corner pillars cut for the structure of a palace” (Psalm 144, 12)