New campus under construction for Catholic schools in Whitesville, Kentucky
St. Mary of the Woods Catholic Church in Whitesville, Kentucky, has begun construction on a campus that will house St. Mary of the Woods Grade School and Trinity High School.
The Owensboro Times reports that the new facility will be built on a 10-acre site across the street from the existing schools.
“Our current schools were built in the 1950s and 1960s and face mounting maintenance challenges,” said Rev. Brian Roby, pastor of St. Mary of the Woods Church. “In addition to these issues, we’ve been out of space for the last four years and have had a growing waiting list each year.”
Emily Hernandez, principal at the schools, said adding space was critical.
“We’ve reached the limits of our current facilities,” Hernandez said. “Times have changed, and we don’t have enough classrooms to accommodate class sizes within the current legal limits."
The two-story building will have separate entrances for each school; shared areas include a media center, cafeteria, and gymnasium.
Phase 1 of the project, which will cost an estimated $11.2 million, will focus on completion of the grade school wing, administrative spaces, and common areas. Phase 2 will focus on completing the high school wing, auditorium, and additional gymnasium space, with an estimated cost of $5.7 million.
“Currently, we have $11.6 million in pledges, and nearly $6 million of that is already in hand,” Roby said. “The Diocese of Owensboro has granted permission for us to begin Phase 1, but we still need an additional $5.7 million to complete Phase 2.”
