NOTRE DAME STAFF BEGINS SETTLING INTO THEIR NEW DIGS

Notre Dame High School staff members are settling into their new facility this week as contractors complete work on the 114,000-square-foot facility scheduled to open this fall.

The new school will occupy about 25 of the nearly 48 acres of land along Route K donated to the Cape Girardeau-Springfield Diocese by the James and Wanda Drury Family Trust. The project, worth $6.7 million, was financed by a capital campaign and is the largest ever undertaken through the Cape Girardeau-Springfield Diocese.

Volunteers have solicited some 2,400 pledges and raised more than $5.5 million to date, and another $3.5 million should be collected over the next two years.

Teachers and administrators are moving equipment, furnishings and supplies into rooms as contractors put the finishing touches on the building. Relocation into the new school's 30 classrooms and other offices should be completed within the next two weeks.

Business manager Bob McGahan said the new school was built to accommodate a 2 to 4 percent enrollment increase during the past five years. The new school can accommodate about 600 students, nearly double the old school's capacity, he said. Some 378 students are enrolled to attend the first day of classes Aug. 19, an increase of about 18 over last year's enrollment.

"We were using the chapel as a classroom," said McGahan, referring to space constraints at the old school. "The committee weighed the pros and cons and realized expansion wouldn't have helped, so we decided to build a new school."

Although administrators hope the old school will be sold or leased this year, McGahan said soccer and softball teams will practice and play games over on the old fields until the new fields are ready for use. If the old building is not occupied, the old gymnasium will also be used as an additional practice gym for basketball and volleyball teams.

"We can make our new gym into two gyms if we have to for practices, but if possible we will use the old gym as well," he said. "We wanted to get the kids home before 10 p.m., and this way we'll be able to do that."

McGahan said he has received many compliments and only one criticism from the many students, alumni and business people who have toured the new facilities. The only criticism came in joke form from a student who said he would miss the old building's non-air conditioned classrooms.

"He looked at me and said "We're not going to get out early anymore,"" said McGahan, referring to early class dismissal that usually took place on hot days. "It wasn't really a criticism, and overall everybody's been impressed."

Although most of the furnishings and other equipment in the new school will be new, alumni will see memorabilia from the old building. New trophy cases are being built to accommodate trophies and awards from the past, and school principal Sister Mary Ann Fischer is coordinating transportation of gifts donated to the school from graduating seniors and other items.

A "Reminiscing on Ritter" ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. Sept. 12 to close the old school, located at 1912 Ritter. The ceremony and Mass will be followed by an auction to sell all equipment not being taken to the new school.

Bishop John Leibrecht will dedicate the new Notre Dame High School during a ceremony Sept. 13 at 2 p.m. The open ceremony will be followed by an open house for anyone wishing to tour the facility.