EASTON, Md.- The only Catholic high school on Maryland's Eastern Shore is getting a much-needed upgrade. Leaders with the Saints Peter and Paul Parish and School in Easton broke ground on an $18 million family life center and high school.
"There were nights when I'd wake up and go, 'Hmm, will we be able to do this?'" Father James Nash with the parish says. "But I just knew in my heart we would, so when I turned that ground today, I was like this is it."
Peggy Wilson, chair of the school board, helped spearhead the project. She says planning started about two years ago for a family life center, which will house offices and additional space for the parish and greater community. But, those plans grew to include a new high school for its Saints Peter and Paul School students.
"Our high school is in modular buildings right now and the modular buildings were only supposed to last five years," Wilson says. "And, we've been in them for 25 years."
About 178 students currently attend the high school but they expect that number to grow with the bigger school. Developers say it will be a full-service school with a sports complex.
"The classroom environment, a lot has gone into the design to provide an excellent education facility... an indoor gymnasium, an auditorium and a theater," Michael Hiner, president of Willow Construction, says. "The fact that they'll be able to have assemblies, right now they don't really have the facilities to foster that."
The total bill comes in at around $18 million. The school has already raised nearly $15.5 million of that total, solely through fundraising. It's something that members of the school board say is no easy feat.
"Asking for money is always a personal and difficult thing to do but we've had a tremendous response," says Jim Farrell, co-chair of the development committee and school board member.
That's why some school board members say Wednesday's ground breaking was even more special.
"For the first time, it's obvious this is going to happen," Wayne Hockmeyer, co-chair of the development committee and vice chair of the school board, says. "Saints Peter and Paul as a school has been here a long time. The parish has been here a long time. This will be a remarkable thing for the parish and the school, but more importantly remarkable for the whole community."
Project leaders say about 55% of the student body is Catholic and students come from all over to attend the high school. They expect students will be in their new classrooms by September 2021, with the family life center expected to finish before then.
"Difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations and I believe that we are at our beautiful destination of building our new school for our kids," Wilson says.