On June 14, LW Contractors began pre-loading soil to compact the dirt before the construction is laid. Weather permitting, they expected to work at the site until the end of June, according to Mary Beth Wilson, Building Committee chairperson. “At that point, the soil will need to compact for about 90 days before construction of the building itself begins,” she said.
The high school will be built based on a phased master plan that accommodates expansion as enrollment grows and takes into account the continued generosity of the community for the ongoing capital campaign.
Wilson says she is excited the building will take shape. The committee has been working with Hurford Architects for over two years designing the school, which Dan Hurford estimates will be completed by May 2011, allowing faculty and administrators time to install furniture, lockers, electronic equipment, and other supplies before the school opens to students in August of 2011.
Groundbreaking is tentatively scheduled for early September.
Foundations of another sort are also being laid to prepare for the 2011 opening, organizers say. In July, new principal Mike Scholz begins officially working for the new high school.
Scholz has already met many area Catholic pastors, Catholic grade school principals, and several of the seventh- and eighth-grade classes prior to the end of the past school year. He says he hopes to speak at all area Madison County area Masses in the coming months to allow Catholics the opportunity to meet him and provide updates about the progress of the new high school and answer questions people may have.
Scholz will finalize curriculum, recruit students and hire faculty during the 2010-2011 school year to prepare for the opening of FMCHS.
As its capital campaign continues, organizers have found an additional base to generate money. Father McGivney Catholic High School has an opportunity to win up to $250,000 from Chase banks, through the Chase Community Giving Program. Anyone interested in helping McGivney win the contest can vote one time before July 12 by going to the website www.mcgivneygriffins.com and clicking on the Chase Community Giving icon, which takes voters to the Facebook page for McGivney. Voting takes less than a minute for those who are already members of Facebook. Those who are not members of Facebook have to register for a free Facebook account first before their votes can be cast.
For more information about the progress of Father McGivney Catholic High School or to make a pledge or donation, please visit the school’s website at www.mcgivneygriffins.com.