BUILDING UP: NEW NOTRE DAME HIGH SHOULD BE OPEN IN 1998

Construction on the new Notre Dame High School will begin within a month and the 101,500-square-foot building should be open for business for the 1998-99 school year.

The nearly $7 million project is the largest single financial effort ever undertaken by the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese, said Bishop John J. Leibrecht.

He was in town Friday for the annual Notre Dame Booster Club Golf Tournament.

Leibrecht isn't surprised to be announcing the groundbreaking less than a year after the formal fund-raising campaign kicked off. "If you can say, here's what's needed and here's what we can do if we work together, people will come through," he said.

More than $5.3 million in cash and pledges has been raised since last year's July 15 kickoff. Money came from more than 1,500 contributors.More than 150 volunteers have been soliciting money.

Steve Dirnberger, co-chairman of the capital campaign, said, "We wanted to take advantage of the enthusiasm of the campaign and get construction under way."

The money collected to date will cover construction costs, but more is needed to meet the new goal.

The original fund-raising goal was $5 million. But the goal was raised by $750,000 to furnish and equip the school, pave driveways and parking lots, construct concession stands and other exterior buildings and landscape the campus.

Sister Mary Ann Fischer, principal of Notre Dame, said, "The enthusiasm and generosity of the entire community has been overwhelming. Students, parents and staff members are extremely excited about moving into a state-of-the-art facility."

"We had the kind of problem to have," said Leibrecht. "Enrollment was increasing and was going to continue to increase."

A committee looked at whether to renovate the existing building or to construct a new campus. Renovations would have cost a couple of million dollars. The committee said a new building would make a better investment for the future.

"This is a great compliment to the leaders in this area and to the generosity of the people," the bishop said. "There is still some fund raising to be done, but I feel very confident that as we see ground broken and the building rising, the money will come in."

Dirnberger said the Notre Dame project is good for the Catholic school community and also good for the region.

He said: "Education, public or private, is a great need, and the community is the great beneficiary."

Details for a ground-breaking ceremony will be announced later.