Catholic diocese to open new K-8 school in Lutz

LUTZ Tampa Bay area parents who want to give their children a Catholic education have another option to consider for next school year: a new K-8 school being built on the grounds of St. Timothy Catholic Church in Lutz.

Next fall, students at Tampas Mother Teresa of Calcutta Catholic School formerly Most Holy Redeemer will relocate to a larger building under construction 12 miles away at St. Timothy. It will draw from three area parishes and be big enough to serve twice as many children.

Its a relocation of an existing school that is also an attempt to address needs for Catholic education in that part of the diocese, said Michael Tkacik, secretary of ministries for the Diocese of St. Petersburg. The demand for a Catholic education remains strong and consistent.

The new school, which will draw from Most Holy Redeemer, St. Timothy and Our Lady of the Rosary parishes, is being funded by the dioceses Forward in Faith campaign, which aims to raise $50 million for schools, seminarians and individual church projects. More than $25 million has been raised.

Also underway is an expansion at St. Anthony Catholic School in San Antonio that will allow the K-8 school to take on about 50 more students, bringing total enrollment to 300. Cost of the school projects will total $11 million.

Additionally, $18 million will be set aside for tuition assistance: $10 million for individual parish projects, $3 million toward seminarian education and retired priest care, and $5 million for renovations to the St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach.

The Mother Teresa school, which opened in 1954 as Most Holy Redeemer, serves 236 students. The new building at St. Timothy will be able to accommodate nearly 600. Roughly 325 students are already registered for next fall.

Theyre going to bring a great spirit here, said the Rev. Ken Malley, pastor at St. Timothy. The dynamics are going to change. Its really going to be a breath of life. There seems to be a lot of excitement in the whole neighborhood.

Construction on the school began in February. The building was originally slated to open this fall, but issues with securing permits delayed the process, said diocese schools Superintendent Alberto Vzquez-Matos. Construction now is on schedule to wrap up next summer.

The one-story school, designed by Holmes Architects and being built by Herman Construction, will include classroom pods for each grade equipped with computers and other devices for students.

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Catholic diocese to open new K-8 school in Lutz