Remsen St. Mary's School kicks off capital campaign, envisions one site

By RENEE WEBB
Content and Design Coordinator

Faced with an aging and outdated elementary building coupled with a desire for a single site school campus, St. Mary's School in Remsen recently launched a $7 million capital campaign.

Elementary wing
The primary goal of the We Believe…Our Faith, Our Family, Our Future Capital Campaign is to build a new elementary addition to the existing middle/high school building, which will be updated. The campaign general chairs are Ryan and Melissa Feeck and Danny and Sara Harpenau.

“One campus for all students has long been a desired goal of school administration and it would be beneficial in so many ways for students, faculty and staff to be on one campus,” said Father Tim Pick, president of St. Mary's School and pastor of Most Holy Name of Mary Parish.

Principal Kim Phillips echoed the priest’s sentiments and pointed out that the elementary building has a lot of sentimental value as she attended school there and taught for 25-plus years there.

“I love that old building but it’s old and there’s no reason to put money into it,” she said. “If we can get everyone in one building it will add to our academic hours because right now we are sharing teachers that have to go back and forth a few times a day.”

Surveys and feedback gathered from school families affirmed the community’s desire for the single site campus, as that was the number one priority identified as they measured support for the capital campaign.

Luke Homan, school board president and a member of the campaign leadership team, spoke of the benefits of having students in one location.

“Kids will no longer have to walk to lunch every day,” he said. “This will save time and improve student safety. We will also be able to better utilize and share teachers and staff across all grades.”

There would be added benefit to the one-site concept, noted Phillips, with the ability of older students to work with and mentor the younger ones. The elementary building is about five blocks from the middle/high school.

Homan pointed out that the school board started discussing what to do about the elementary school building in 2022.

“Our grade school was built in 1910 and is the oldest (school) building in the diocese,” Homan said. “She has paid her dues. It was decided it would be better to build a new grade school instead of trying to upgrade our old school.”

Bequests from Lorne and Florence Nilles as well as Father John McGuirk, he added, allowed the school board to look into building a new school.

The project includes a 26,000 square-foot elementary wing with six new classrooms, modern cafeteria/student commons space, overlook to the gymnasium, administrative offices and teachers’ workspace.

Updates also include but are not limited to an improved drop-off/pick-up lane, updated school entrance, renovation of library/media center, creation of additional learning spaces for groups and enhanced building security as well as measures for energy efficiency.

Faith and tradition
The school leaders spoke of the three elements in the name and theme of the campaign – faith, family and future – and stressed how each plays an important role in the vision of St. Mary’s.

“We believe this RSM capital campaign is an important means for future success of our St. Mary Schools,” said Father Pick. “Catholic schools in the Diocese of Sioux City have a great history of being a quality school of choice for many Catholic families and other Christian faith families.”

This project, he added, will be significant for not only St. Mary’s Schools but for the parish and the community of Remsen and surrounding area.

“With this new addition, not only will we have the new facility, but we will also show the commitment Remsen St. Mary’s has to our community,” said Homan. “Our current grade school is old; it is time for an upgrade that will bring us a modern building that we can continue to help shape the future leaders of Remsen.”

Investment in St. Mary’s School, he stressed, will help keep the town thriving and is a show of commitment by the school to its community.

“Faith is at the forefront of everything we do in our buildings every day and we are a family,” said Phillips. When the surveys came back, many respondents noted that St. Mary’s was special, “because we are a family. Everyone knows everyone, we have a family atmosphere.”

Homan is a 1998 graduate of the school as is his wife Beth. The couple chose St. Mary’s to educate their three children because of the role faith plays in the school.

“It’s what guides every decision the school and church make and allows us to continue providing a strong faith-based education for our kids – these kids that represent the future Catholics who will, one day as adults with children of their own keep our traditions alive and strong,” said Homan.

While the current elementary structure was built in 1910, St. Mary's School was established in 1887.

“Many generations of Catholic families have prayed and studied within the spaces of the church and school building not to mention the many clergy and religious throughout the years who have served the Catholic community in Remsen. All individuals came together as a family, not related in blood but definitely a family of God in this community,” said Father Pick.

Off to good start
Homan said so far the campaign, which kicked off during Catholic Schools Week, is off to a great. Thus far, more than $2 million has been raised. He mentioned they hope to raise more than $7 million in order to do even more updates to the existing school.

Karen Waldschmitt, a 1959 graduate of St. Mary’s and honorary chair of the capital campaign, said she supports the campaign as a way to pay it forward.

“I am glad to be a part of continuing to invest in this capital campaign, and the project will benefit the entire St. Mary’s community for the next 100 years, just as our founding members sacrificed for us over 140 years ago,” she said.

Robert (Class of 1963) and Doris Gengler are also honorary chairs. They want to support the campaign in order for St. Mary’s to provide a great Catholic education for generations to come.

If all goes as planned, they will break ground on the new addition this summer, said Father Pick, with completion by the beginning of the 2026-27 school year.

“It is an exciting chapter for the history of the school system in this relatively small rural community in the Diocese of Sioux City. I also believe the timing of this campaign is appropriate because the number of students attending our diocesan Catholic schools is increasing,” said the pastor.

For more information about the campaign, go to: Capital Campaign - Remsen St. Mary's Schools - Remsen, IA.