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'A new school with an old school soul'

A new academic building is the first part of a multiphase project for St. Jude.

By RITA FARLOW
Published June 18, 2006

ST. PETERSBURG - Sabrina O'Donnell is following in her mother's footsteps - literally. The second-grader at St. Jude Cathedral School wears the exact same style blue and white uniform and walks the same hallways that her mom Maria once did.

That will change in January when Sabrina and her fellow students start the new year in a new, two-story classroom building. The 30,000-square-foot structure will house the school's 514 students, from early childhood education classes to eighth grade, said Sue Brett, a member of the project's steering committee.

The new building will have an elevator and include 27 classrooms, 24 bathrooms and a teacher's planning room, said Quinn Toulon, project manager for Ajax Building Corp. It is the first part of a multiphase construction project to update St. Jude, a 51-year-old Catholic school at 600 58th St. N. Tuition is $3,780 a year for in-parish students and $5,830 for non-Catholic students.

The next phases include a gymnasium and media center, the renovation of the existing classroom building into administrative offices and the creation of an interior courtyard.

"We're just anxious to get there. We've been blessed in many ways," said principal Larry Lopez.

The school is still raising funds for the next phases, said Greta Kishbaugh, a fundraising consultant. So far, parishioners, parents, alumni and members of the community have donated $5.8-million to the $11-million project.

"We're about halfway there, but we're not going to build something if we don't have the money. We don't want to put people in debt,'' Kishbaugh said.

Brett was optimistic that the community would continue to support the endeavor. "When people start seeing the structure rise out of the ground, they realize that it's happening,'' she said.

Maria O'Donnell, Sabrina's mother, said the renovation has been "a long time coming'' and that she is thrilled her children will be able to reap the benefits of a new building with modern amenities.

"I hope we can get it all done and it goes another 50 years. It's going to be a new school with an old school soul,'' O'Donnell said.

[Last modified June 18, 2006, 07:24:37]