Reitz Memorial HS Capital Campaign More Than Halfway To Goal
Reitz Memorial High School in Evansville is in the midst of a $6 million capital campaign that, if fully realized, will lead to the creation of a 156-space parking lot, an on-campus soccer field, upgraded technology and facilities and financial aid for struggling families.
The effort, spearheaded by Memorial’s capital campaign director, Michael Lloyd, has already amassed $3.9 million, mostly through “silent” fundraising efforts.
“If we can get to $4.5 million by April 30, we’ll be in good shape for the ‘public’ phase on May 1,” Lloyd said.
The campaign is titled “Building on the Legacy,” and it is meant to recognize the work and dedication that helped shape the school’s first 87 years while developing and enhancing the campus facilities and technology for future generations.
Lloyd noted that this specific capital campaign is a one-time deal, with its monies to be used only for the projects stated in its goals. If the $6 million is not reached, some projects will still be completed while others might be sacrificed. He said it is separate from the school’s annual campaign, which raises money to help with tuition assistance.
“This has so many different components. There is something in this that should benefit every teacher, student, parent and parent-to-be,” Lloyd said.
Campus Expansion and Facility Renovation
While desired improvements include upgrading electrical work, renovating restrooms, modernizing the heating and air conditioning systems and updating athletic facilities, the real highlight of the school’s plan is a proposed circular plaza — with flagpoles and landscaping — that would be situated in the middle of Bennighof Avenue, connecting the campus physically with the new parking lot and adjoining soccer field. If the money is available, work on this project could begin as early as June, Lloyd said.
The parking lot will be used not only for those attending soccer matches, but also for student parking. Lloyd said there has been concern for a long time for student safety, as some students who drive to school have to park two or three blocks away and then walk to campus.
In a brochure on the campaign that will be mailed to alumni, Wayne Henning, capital campaign co-chair, said a safe parking area for students is long overdue.
“You come around here in the morning or evening and, frankly, it’s dangerous,” Henning is quoted. “There is no way of getting around it; we need a parking lot.”
Lloyd said the soccer field was high on the priority list in part because of the school’s successful history in the sport.
“We have 15 state titles but don’t have our own facilities,” Lloyd said. Memorial, as well as other Southern Indiana Athletic Conference schools, currently play at the EVSC Fields behind the former Roberts Stadium site, about two miles from campus.
Money raised through the campaign could also lead to the installation of lights at Henning Field. Lloyd pointed out this will greatly increase the flexibility of scheduling practices and games for the cub, freshman and junior varsity football teams, as the field could be in use after sundown. It would also give the marching band a marked football field to practice on as opposed to the open fields with no football markings it currently uses.
There will also be a sidewalk that connects St. Benedict Cathedral School to Memorial, then continues on to the University of Evansville, a stretch that Lloyd refers to as an “academic corridor.”
Updating Technology to Expand Education Possibilities
Lloyd said a key to improving the curriculum at Memorial is to upgrade the Internet bandwidth and update servers. It will allow teachers to increase mobile technology to better instruct students.
The bandwidth increase will also allow for faster activity across a wide range of functions, leading to a more diversified program offering and a wider range of teaching tools.
As Memorial President Brother Lawrence Murphy stated in a separate letter to the Memorial community: “Catholic schools provide an atmosphere in which our young people can gain an intellectual understanding of their faith while also having the opportunity to experience the loving presence of God in their lives.”
Providing Financial Assistance to Struggling Families
While some families have been able to recover and stabilize their finances in the aftermath of the recent recession, others have not. Requests for financial aid have “risen exponentially over the last few years,” Brother Murphy said in his letter. It has taken a toll on the school’s operating budget, from which some recent financial aid requests have been covered, and this capital campaign will help the school function within its budgetary limits.
Above all, Memorial does not want to leave any child behind due to financial constraints, Brother Murphy noted in the mailed brochure: “Catholic education has to be available to everyone who can’t afford it.”
Cyndi Schneider, Memorial’s principal, has counseled families with hardships on many occasions.
“When you have a family that goes through a feeder school system and then it’s time to go into the 9th grade at RMHS, and I get a phone call saying, ‘I have made all the sacrifices I can make, I just can’t do it anymore,’ ” Schneider says in the brochure. “With this capital campaign, I can make the phone call back and say, ‘I have found some help for you financially. Come register at our school.’ ”
Lloyd said he hopes this goal of fostering inclusivity, above all else, will help those throughout the community decide to help out the capital campaign.
“We’re a Catholic high school,” he said. “If families are struggling to send their children to Memorial, this can help them out.”
