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The Leavenworth Regional Catholic Schools broke ground Tuesday on a project to turn the former public Muncie Elementary School into a new consolidated Catholic school.
When complete, the Xavier Catholic School at 541 Muncie Road will serve as the educational center for all of the Catholic schools’ students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The school is scheduled to be open in the fall for classes, according to Barb Ferrara, director of the LRCS.
Will Manis, project manager for Julius Kaaz Construction, the Leavenworth company who will be performing the work, said crews officially started Monday on the first of a four-phase project. In this first phase, he said the former Muncie Elementary’s library will be split into two rooms — one turned into the Mother Xavier Ross Chapel, named in honor of the founder of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, and the other a library and media lab.
The outside of the school will also be transforming in an effort to reflect the new Catholic identity of the facility. Manis said a curved, steel-truss design and stucco facade with a sign will be added to the length of the entrance of the building facing Hughes Road and a 25-foot metal “cross-tower” will also be placed at the entrance.
“It’s going to be huge,” Ferrara said of the tower.
Provided materials, like structural steel, are available, Julius Kaaz Construction President Steve Kaaz said the crews should have no problem meeting their deadline.
“We’re supposed to be done by the end of July,” Kaaz said.
The LRCS has already done some work since it took control of the building from the Leavenworth Public Schools last August, according to Ferrara. She said volunteers have worked to clean the classrooms at the site, saving something on the order of $400,000, by one architect’s estimate.
“They just jumped right in and got to work,” she said.
Once the work on the entrance and the chapel and library are complete, Manis said new construction will be able to start. In future phases, he said plans are to construct a new gymnasium, locker rooms and kitchen, all on the south part of the property.
Ferrara said the LRCS will continue its capital campaign in order to raise funds for those next phases and is now asking some of its largest donors to extend their pledges from three to five years.
“We’re this close to getting that,” Ferrara said of funding needed to start the new construction. “We’re going to keep working on that to see if we can’t achieve that.”
Steve Mulcahy, president of the LRCS board of trustees, said he has appreciated the support — not just from the Catholic community, but also that of the public schools, the city of Leavenworth and the residents as a whole — for a project that, when finished, will be a sort of dream come true for many.
“This will be a chance for teachers as well as students and families to work together,” he said.
The Leavenworth Regional Catholic Schools broke ground Tuesday on a project to turn the former public Muncie Elementary School into a new consolidated Catholic school.
When complete, the Xavier Catholic School at 541 Muncie Road will serve as the educational center for all of the Catholic schools’ students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The school is scheduled to be open in the fall for classes, according to Barb Ferrara, director of the LRCS.
Will Manis, project manager for Julius Kaaz Construction, the Leavenworth company who will be performing the work, said crews officially started Monday on the first of a four-phase project. In this first phase, he said the former Muncie Elementary’s library will be split into two rooms — one turned into the Mother Xavier Ross Chapel, named in honor of the founder of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, and the other a library and media lab.
The outside of the school will also be transforming in an effort to reflect the new Catholic identity of the facility. Manis said a curved, steel-truss design and stucco facade with a sign will be added to the length of the entrance of the building facing Hughes Road and a 25-foot metal “cross-tower” will also be placed at the entrance.
“It’s going to be huge,” Ferrara said of the tower.
Provided materials, like structural steel, are available, Julius Kaaz Construction President Steve Kaaz said the crews should have no problem meeting their deadline.
“We’re supposed to be done by the end of July,” Kaaz said.
The LRCS has already done some work since it took control of the building from the Leavenworth Public Schools last August, according to Ferrara. She said volunteers have worked to clean the classrooms at the site, saving something on the order of $400,000, by one architect’s estimate.
“They just jumped right in and got to work,” she said.
Once the work on the entrance and the chapel and library are complete, Manis said new construction will be able to start. In future phases, he said plans are to construct a new gymnasium, locker rooms and kitchen, all on the south part of the property.
Ferrara said the LRCS will continue its capital campaign in order to raise funds for those next phases and is now asking some of its largest donors to extend their pledges from three to five years.
“We’re this close to getting that,” Ferrara said of funding needed to start the new construction. “We’re going to keep working on that to see if we can’t achieve that.”
Steve Mulcahy, president of the LRCS board of trustees, said he has appreciated the support — not just from the Catholic community, but also that of the public schools, the city of Leavenworth and the residents as a whole — for a project that, when finished, will be a sort of dream come true for many.
“This will be a chance for teachers as well as students and families to work together,” he said.
