Campus Master Plan Update

Please see Fr. Longenecker’s Summary of the Parish Meeting below, held on December 12, 2024.

Also, the presentation slides can be found HERE and HERE.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Last evening we held a meeting in the Guadalupe Hall to give an update on the campus master plan for Our Lady of the Rosary Church and School.

Over the last year we have worked with the fund raising organization Petrus to develop a feasibility study for the master plan fund raising. The Hord architectural firm estimates the new parish and school facilities to cost between $30-$40m. This is obviously a very ambitious long term project and the first reports from Petrus is that it will take 3-5 years to raise that much.

However, we need more room in our school now! Our Headmaster, Mr. Curtin reported on our school growth over the last five years since opening our Upper School. The whole school has enjoyed unprecedented growth, but the Upper School has gone from a first year enrollment of 9 students to this year’s enrollment of 78. The projected enrollment for 2025 in the Upper School is nearly 100.

Therefore, we need to implement an interim solution. Our facilities manager David Bernard presented a plan to erect modular classroom units on the lower field which will accommodate our growing Upper School until such time as we are able to build the new facilities shown on the master plan.

In addition to the modular classroom solution, David pointed out that the master plan calls for the retention of the present gym for at least another ten years. This building is already 50 years old (the Guadalupe Hall and elementary school building are 70 years old) Therefore the gym needs some major renovation, upgrades and safety code improvements.

Donna Craft has put the slides from David’s presentation on the parish website if you would like to view them.

The modular classroom solution has the advantage of being flexible space for future growth, offering space in future for parish use and the advantage of being re-sold and moved out.

The cost of the modular classrooms, infrastructure work and gym renovations will come to about $2m. The members of the finance committee have approved this plan and we hope to raise half of this very quickly through special gifts and pledges. If we can raise have of this amount we would hope to secure a loan from the diocese for the other half.

Therefore, please pray and plan to make a significant gift or pledge for this project during the upcoming stewardship campaign and in the first quarter of 2025.

Remember, if you have comments, ideas or criticisms we are happy to listen and take them on board if we can.

Thank you for your generosity and faithful, prayerful support!

Your pastor,
Fr. Longenecker