Middle School Bathroom Project Updates

Middle School Bathroom Project FAQ: Common Questions:

Will the bathroom renovation still start on time?

Yes. Parish leaders are finalizing the project and contract details with a contractor approved by the archdiocese. Work will begin when school ends in June and be complete by the start of the next school year in August. The goal is to completely fund the project to sustain our current financial health and ability to respond to future unknown challenges. The plan allows for school to open on schedule in the event the project takes longer than expected.

Why can’t we just replace the fixtures (toilets, sinks) and tile in the existing bathrooms?

The construction planning and site-review process revealed structural deficiencies with the current bathrooms (that are original to the school and over 50 years old). The older building materials contain asbestos. The galvanized plumbing is constricted from decades of buildup and can’t deliver water pressure to multiple sinks and water fountains at the same time. The current bathroom footprint is small and makes it impossible to meet the standards of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). There is no way to properly retrofit the existing facilities to meet the current needs of our school and parish. The new scope is the most cost-effective way to provide proper bathroom facilities for the middle school building.

Why do we need to raise an additional $170,000?

The original estimates for this project were lower, but new information and material inflation has significantly changed the financial implications of this project. The new project scope requires $170,000 above our current funds raised. The Parish Finance Council is targeting $170,000 to cover any unexpected contingencies that may develop over the course of construction. Once these bathrooms are renovated, the future focus will shift to improving the elementary school bathrooms, which are in a similar condition. Any unutilized funding for this project will be held for additional bathroom renovations.

Are there opportunities to reduce the cost of this project?

Patrick Fitzgerald (Ops Director) and the planning team (including members of the Finance Council and parishioners with backgrounds in engineering, construction, and other relevant experience) have worked closely with the architects and general contractors to identify and implement cost saving opportunities. We are lucky to have the talent in our community to confidently execute these projects. The current project scope is the result of those tradeoff discussions and leveraged considerable savings.

To donate to this project via Give Central, please CLICK HERE.

If you have any questions about this project, please contact Patrick Fitzgerald (Operations Director) or Dr. David Wood (Principal), or any member of the Parish Finance Council (listed below).

• Neal Loughery
• Joe Farwell
• Jim Sherry
• Katy Utech
• Leo Morand
• Matt Baumgartner
• Mary Catherine McAdams
• Scott Cassidy