BOLD FUTURE Updates: No Preschool Move at This Time And More

Construction is rapidly finishing up, and we expect to have full occupancy by the end of the month. Here are the latest updates on our offices and parking lot, meeting spaces, the unfinished classroom space, and more!

New Offices and Parking Lot

Our new parish offices are already open, and we will begin using the new parking lot and office entrance on the northwest side of the building very soon. Meeting spaces downstairs are also beginning to open up for programmatic and ministry use!

Lower-Level Classroom Space

Our original plan for the unfinished classroom space below the gymnasium was to build it out as a three-section preschool and move our existing preschool over as soon as next fall. After consultation with St. Michael Catholic Church and School leadership and staff, trustees, and the School Advisory Council, we have decided to put the preschool move on hold for three reasons:

• Maintaining Proximity: We prefer to keep our preschool close to the K-8 school for administrative and logistical reasons.
• Avoiding a Bottleneck: We do not want to fuel frustration by launching a three-section preschool when we only have two sections of kindergarten, forcing us to turn families away.
• Preserving our Options: We are exploring other options for this space, including the possibility of gradually expanding our parish school to include grades 9-12. I realize this announcement will raise countless questions that we cannot answer yet, since we are very early in our discernment. I also know that some of you may be disappointed with the decision not to build a new preschool at this time. If you have questions or concerns, feel free to contact Principal Heidi Gallus or me.

Please note that no decision has been made with regard to a high school, and the soonest—if ever—we would add a 9th-grade class would be Fall 2024.

Painting Project and Mass in the Social Hall

We will have a few events in the social hall and gymnasium before Christmas, but scheduling of those spaces will be limited until after Lent. Between Christmas and Holy Week, we will be moving our Masses to the social hall and using the gym as overflow space until the painting, dome windows, and lighting are completed in the worship space. Please bear with us during that time and pray for a speedy and safe completion of these projects.