Why is the school expansion and remodel necessary?

Our growth has created an urgent need for additional space for students and teachers. Since the 2019-20 school year, enrollment from our Early Learning Center through 8th grade has increased 87%, with steady growth each year. With an already full Early Learning Center as of 2020, our K-8 program has increased 150% in the last eight school years. The growth reflects the strength of our Early Learning Center, increased retention in our middle school, our commitment to outstanding Catholic education, and the dedication of our excellent teachers and staff. To continue helping every student grow academically, spiritually and personally, we must provide learning spaces that support their success today and into the future.

What projects are included in the expansion and remodel? How will each project benefit our school?

The expansion and remodel are designed to meet our current needs while preparing for the future.

Three new classrooms: The project will add two new classrooms to the south end of the school, adjacent to the current music room and middle school commons. These new spaces will allow the PreK–8 Art and Spanish programs to relocate to dedicated classrooms, freeing up two existing classrooms in the middle school wing for core middle school instruction. As part of the renovation, the current locker rooms will be reconfigured, creating an opportunity to repurpose the existing music room into a dedicated band room. This new space will support our growing band program while also providing a flexible area for school activities and faith formation programs throughout the week.

Middle school commons: A larger dedicated commons area will give middle school students a place to gather, collaborate, study, and build friendships in a safe, supervised environment. The space also will serve as the home for Spirit Club and provide additional room for faith formation activities, student leadership meetings, and small group gatherings.

New restrooms: Currently, middle school students and teachers share two single-stall restrooms, creating long waits and limited privacy. Adding two multi-stall restrooms will improve accessibility, increase privacy, and allow students (and teachers) to spend more time where they belong – in the classroom.

Remodeled administration offices: The current entrance and main office area will be reconfigured to create a secure entrance into the school, while the Martin Family Center will have its own separate secure entrance. This improvement will strengthen campus security and provide a more welcoming experience for students, families, and visitors.

Why are school safety and security improvements not included in the campaign?

Over the past year, our Gala and North Star Night Out have raised nearly $400,000 to strengthen school safety and security. These funds are currently being used to implement a proactive and multilayered school safety approach. As part of the Martin Family Center project, we are also creating a new secured entrance into the school, which will give school staff greater visibility of everyone entering the building, helping create an even safer environment for our students, teachers, and visitors.

Do we plan to continue increasing enrollment?

We are grateful for the tremendous growth God has blessed our school with over the past eight years. At the same time, our goal is not unlimited enrollment. To preserve the close-knit, faith-filled community that makes St. Therese so special, we plan to maintain two sections per grade in kindergarten through eighth grade. This approach allows us to continue providing the personal attention, strong relationships, and academic excellence that our families value.

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Do we currently have a maintenance fund?

We currently have approximately $700,000 in our maintenance fund, which is held in our investment account.

How will adding to the fund help our parish?

While our annual offertory allows us to address many routine maintenance needs, it cannot fully cover the larger repairs and replacements that naturally arise as our buildings age. Increasing the maintenance fund will allow us to prepare for these significant projects before they become urgent or more costly. By investing in the long-term care of our facilities, we ensure that future generations will continue to have welcoming, safe, and well-maintained spaces where they can worship, learn, serve, and grow in Christ.

Do we have a capital replacement plan in place?

What are some of our immediate needs?

We have a capital replacement plan for our campus and are working with a consultant to develop a more comprehensive long-term plan to help us anticipate future needs. Based on our current assessment, some of our highest-priority projects include:

• Repair church and school roofs and siding: $900,000

• Replace 10 rooftop HVAC units: $500,000

• Improve parking lots and drive lanes: $250,000

• Update church restrooms: $70,000

Addressing these projects proactively helps us to protect our facilities, avoid more costly repairs in the future, and ensure that our campus continues to serve parishioners, students, and visitors for many years to come.

How does the parish decide which maintenance projects are addressed?

Each year, our Director of Operations works closely with the Facilities Committee to evaluate our campus and identify maintenance priorities using our capital replacement plan. Projects are recommended based on factors such as safety, urgency, stewardship, and available funding. Once priorities have been established, the Finance Council reviews and approves the final maintenance budget as part of the parish’s annual budgeting process.

This thoughtful planning process helps ensure we care for our facilities responsibly while making the best use of parish resources.

Do we plan to add a cross to our steeple?

One of the goals of this campaign is to place a durable, lasting cross atop our steeple. A church steeple naturally draws our eyes heavenward, and the cross reminds us that Christ is at the center of everything we do. It will stand as a visible witness to our Catholic faith, welcoming parishioners, inspiring those who pass by, and serving as a lasting sign of hope for our community. As we continue to grow in Christ, this cross will be a visible reminder that every ministry, every act of service, and every gift offered through this campaign is rooted in Jesus Christ.

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What is the St. Therese Catholic School Endowment Fund? How much is currently in the fund?

In 1999, church and school leaders partnered with the Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota (CCF) to establish the St. Therese Catholic School Endowment Fund. Today, the fund holds about $1.3 million, which provides a 4% annual distribution to support our school. Up until now, the distribution has been reinvested each year. Moving forward, when we take a distribution, the Finance Council will decide how the distribution is used.

What can the funds be used for? How will additional funds benefit our school?

The St. Therese School Endowment Fund aims to support and enhance the programs provided by St. Therese Catholic School. Three major areas of focus include:

• Tuition assistance for students and families

• Competitive salaries to attract and retain outstanding teachers and staff

• Technology that enhances teaching and learning

Growing the endowment means growing its annual distribution. Every additional dollar invested today creates a lasting source of funding that helps strengthen Catholic education at St. Therese for generations to come.

What is our current tuition cost?

For the 2026-27 school year, tuition is $6,478.50 per student. However, the actual cost to educate each student is approximately $11,000. Growing our endowment will continue to help bridge that gap.

Currently, St. Therese provides around $100,000 in tuition assistance each year to about 20% of our students to make Catholic education accessible to these families. The request for tuition assistance continues to increase annually.

Why does the endowment support teacher salaries?

Outstanding teachers are at the heart of everything we do. They help students grow academically, develop strong character, and deepen their relationship with Christ every day. To continue providing the exceptional faith-based education that defines St. Therese, we must attract and retain talented, mission-driven educators. While we cannot always match the salaries offered by public schools, the income from the endowment helps us provide more competitive compensation and recognize the tremendous value our teachers bring to our students and parish.

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What is the Martin Family Center?

Named in honor of St. Thérèse’s family, the Martin Family Center is designed to be a welcoming place where parishioners of all ages can gather and grow in faith, fellowship, and community. It will provide much-needed space for ministry, school activities, and parish events while strengthening the connection between our church, school, and community. The Martin Family Center will feature:

• Gymnasium with two regulation-size sports courts

• Flexible space for large church and school events

• Elevated stage

• Two meeting rooms

• Attached catering kitchen

• Welcoming lobby connected to our school

• Handicap-accessible second-story indoor walking track

• New Outdoor Learning Center for the Early Learning Center

How will the Martin Family Center benefit the church and school?

The Martin Family Center will benefit all aspects of life at St. Therese and every generation of our parish family – from our youngest students to our oldest parishioners. It will provide the space we need to gather, celebrate, learn, and serve together as we continue to grow in Christ. It will give us:

MORE SPACE FOR MINISTRY

The center will give us flexible, dedicated space that allows our ministries to expand their outreach, strengthen relationships, and better serve parishioners of all ages. It will:

• Reduce scheduling conflicts so ministries can meet consistently and throughout the day.

• Free existing classrooms and meeting spaces for additional programs and activities.

• Create more room for faith formation classes, Bible studies and group events.

A COMMUNITY HUB

The center will become a central gathering place for our parish family and give us space for events, including:

• Gala and North Star Night Out

• Parish talent show and Christmas play

• Bingo nights

• Pep fests

• Feed My Starving Children meal packing

• Parish retreats

• Guest speakers

• Concerts

• Archdiocesan events

It also will provide opportunities for fellowship through activities like pickleball, basketball, and volleyball while offering Deephaven Woods residents a welcoming place to exercise and walk year-round.

MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENT SUCCESS

The Martin Family Center will greatly enhance the educational experience for our students by:

• Providing enough space for the entire school to gather safely and within fire code for assemblies and special events.

• Hosting larger audiences for programs such as graduations, school plays, talent shows, and spelling bees.

• Giving physical education classes, school recess, and the Early Learning Center additional indoor space when weather prevents outdoor activities.

• Providing dedicated space for occupational therapy and other student support services.

How will we pay the Martin Family Center’s operating costs?

We have spent the past year carefully studying the long-term operating costs of the Martin Family Center. Our Director of Operations has met with leaders from the Minnetonka Basketball Association, Minnetonka United Soccer, Legacy Hoops and Hoop Habits to understand how their facilities operate, their expenses, and what they charge local sports teams and leagues to rent their space for practices and tournaments. Based on this research, we are confident that we can run the center responsibly while generating roughly $200,000 in revenue through carefully managed rentals that help offset operating costs. As with every parish ministry, we will continue to monitor expenses and adjust our operating plan as needed to ensure good stewardship of parish resources.

How often will the center be used by non-St. Therese organizations?

When church and school activities are not scheduled, we plan to welcome carefully selected outside groups whose activities align with our Catholic faith. Limited rentals will help generate revenue to support the center while ensuring it remains primarily a place for our parish family to gather, build relationships, and grow in Christ. Church and school events will always receive scheduling priority, and the center will not be rented during Sunday Mass times or when school is in session.

What is the Outdoor Learning Center? What are the plans to replace it?

The Outdoor Learning Center is one of the Early Learning Center’s most valuable classrooms. It allows our youngest learners to experience God’s creation through hands-on learning, exploration, problem-solving, and stewardship in a structured outdoor environment. We will work closely with our Early Learning Center teachers to design a new Outdoor Learning Center that builds on the success of the current space while meeting the needs of future students. Funding for the new Outdoor Learning Center is included in the Martin Family Center project.

Will the current gym and stage in the school still be used?

The current gym will continue serving our school throughout the day for physical education classes, Early Learning Center activities, and indoor recess when weather keeps students inside. Having two activity spaces will reduce scheduling conflicts and better accommodate students of all ages. We also are exploring ways to repurpose the existing stage into two additional classrooms or flexible learning spaces that can provide student support, small-group instruction, and other educational programming.

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