ABOUT THE PROJECT

The overall goal of our campaign is to raise funds to meet our obligation to the Upon This Rock campaign (in support of priests), retire the debt incurred on the land and to construct the new Catholic school in northeast Bettendorf. Elements of the construction project include:

• Two classrooms each for grades K-8
• STEM and Arts classrooms
• Commons area with attached chapel
• High school-rated gymnasium
• Preschool and childcare facility
• Administrative offices
• Playgrounds, parking and separate drop-off areas for school and preschool

The intention is to complete all these projects by the fall of 2025.

Once the campaign is completed and funding projections are known, the order in which the projects are completed will be decided by parish leadership, in cooperation with architects and the Diocese of Davenport. Many factors are taken into consideration, including the most urgent priorities, the school calendar, and projects that must take place chronologically or simultaneously to avoid disruption to family and school schedules.

The long-range vision is  to build a new school and church at the northwest corner of Hopewell Avenue and Criswell Street and eventually seeing Our Lady of Lourdes and St. John Vianney becoming one parish: St. Joan of Arc. There are many decisions yet to be made as we travel this path, but this is the direction we are moving.

Up to 40 percent of the project’s overall cost could be financed.  Whatever debt is incurred will be borne by the combined parish entity. The diocese must approve the debt, but it is not responsible for the debt. We absolutely want to minimize the debt.

Our Lady of Lourdes received an estate gift of $2 million from the estate of Jim Victor. One million dollars went toward the purchase of the new property, and $1 million will go toward the campaign for the new building. Our Lady of Lourdes has set aside some extra funds to begin the process.

Additionally, the land that was ultimately purchased is larger than the need for the project, and the additional acres are an investment that can either be held for future development or sold later at a profit. In the meantime, the additional land will remain as rent-paying cropland.

As the long-range plan for the parishes and the diocese became clearer, it became apparent that a 25-acre site would not provide the space needed to grow the school and eventual church. Until we break ground to prepare the site for construction, it will remain rent-paying cropland. Once we break ground for the new school, keeping a portion of the property available to rent is an option we are considering.

Catholic News Agency recently reported that, prior to COVID-19 restrictions, Catholic school enrollment nationally was trending down 2% to 3% annually. That rate more than doubled during the pandemic. However, after returning to in-person learning, enrollment in Catholic schools began trending toward pre-pandemic numbers and continues to grow – in some areas, at rates higher than the pre-pandemic, downward trends.

Trends in Scott County Catholic K-8 schools show similar patterns: Pre-pandemic enrollment trending down, sharp declines during the pandemic, and post-pandemic enrollment trending upward: Given this context, it’s noteworthy that enrollment at Lourdes Catholic school remained relatively steady during this same time frame (data taken from enrollment data from Scott County Catholic Schools)

The opportunity for maintaining that trend in the new Bettendorf Catholic school is even greater now that the Iowa state legislature has approved Educational Savings Account (ESA) grants for students attending private and parochial schools at the same time a  growing number of parents that desire an alternative to public schools.

The Students First Act created the Iowa ESA Program, which makes state funding available to every student in Iowa between kindergarten and high school. The funds are placed into education savings accounts and can be used by eligible families to cover qualified educational expenses, such as tuition, fees, and books.

Yes! Without a Catholic school that offers non-Catholic/Christian parents a choice, it becomes more challenging to introduce the Christian faith to students and parents who are not Catholic.  Sure, there are other avenues and ways to give witness to the Gospel, and we should use them.

But, Catholic education remains one the most effective outreach tools the Church has for making disciples. It equips young Catholics to live out their faith, and it helps non-Catholics experience the love of Christ in how teachers nurture their children and in how the parish ministers to the community and its families.