NOTRE DAME CONSIDERS BUILDING

Notre Dame High School could become a Catholic middle school as part of a scenario that calls for constructing a new high school on the west side of Cape Girardeau.

The Notre Dame Long Range Planning Committee is looking at the possibility of constructing a larger high school that could be structured more as a non-denominational Christian facility than strictly a Catholic school, said Sister Mary Ann Fischer, Notre Dame principal.

Fischer said Thursday that such a site might be along Interstate 55, although plans are far from final. "That would be a more regional location," she said, pointing out that the school has students from not only the Cape Girardeau area but also Scott City, Kelso, Chaffee and Oran, as well as Southern Illinois.

"We are in the very preliminary phase of looking at our future needs at Notre Dame High School," she said. "We are not talking about building tomorrow."

Fischer said the 20-member planning committee has been meeting since last November. It's comprised of members of the business, professional and education communities as well as parents and school alumni.

If a new high school is built, the existing building could be turned into a middle school for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders.

Currently, the two Catholic elementary schools in Cape Girardeau serve students in kindergarten through eighth grade, Fischer said. With the addition of a middle school, the elementary schools would then handle students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

As to the idea of a more non-denominational Christian high school, Fischer said, "We have had people from other churches pose this question to us and we are studying that concept."

Fischer said, "Notre Dame always has opened its doors to students of other Christian faiths, and the number of students of other Christian faiths choosing Notre Dame is on the increase.

"I think we are looking at some possible ways of maybe adapting our program to accommodate these people," she said.

"I think that for the city of Cape Girardeau it is important for the growth of Cape Girardeau that it can offer a successful alternative to public education on a secondary level and Notre Dame is that alternative," said Fischer.

Catholic secondary education in Cape Girardeau dates back to 1925. At that time there was St. Mary's High School, which was situated where Del Farm supermarket now stands. It was replaced by Notre Dame High School. Construction began in 1953 and the school opened in 1954.

The 40-year-old high school will soon be unable to meet the increased enrollment and student activity demands, Fischer said.

"With our expanding curriculum and increased student activities, our physical plant cannot handle the projected enrollment as we see it, over the next five years," she said.

Enrollment has increased by 25 students each year for the past two years and is projected to increase at a similar rate over the next five years, Fischer said.

Currently, Notre Dame has an enrollment of 290, grades 9-12. Fischer estimated the school can accommodate a maximum of 350 students.

In the late 1970s, enrollment stood at close to 400. But Fischer said the school can no longer accommodate that many students because of increased curriculum and student activity demands.

"We have an expanded curriculum today that necessitate more classrooms and laboratory facilities. We also have increased student activities, extra-curricular activities. Particularly, we have added girls athletics, which was not here when the school had an enrollment close to 400."

The planning committee has looked at the possibility of adding to the existing high school at 1912 Ritter, but, Fischer said, "we have a space problem with doing that."

Fischer said: "We are looking to the future. We are excited about the growth of Catholic education. We are asking ourselves the question `Can we afford to think future?' because we have very limited resources."

Fischer said she hopes planning will be completed within a year.