Capital Improvement • Battle Creek Area Catholic Schools

Questions?
Contact Abby Lumbard
Email: alumbard @bcacs.org
Phone: 269 963 4771

Taking care of our school buildings is part of taking care of our students, which is why we have the need for an ongoing Capital Improvement Campaign. This special fund pools our Battle Creek Catholic Family resources and directs them to our schools’ greatest areas of needs for both upgrades and routine maintenance.

Are capital improvement funds just for one school?

Absolutely not! We are a BCACS community and we will tackle our repairs as a community for whatever site needs it most. We’ve been educating students for over 100 years, which means we have been stewards of our historic school buildings for over 100 years. We are good with that. We are BCACS.

Where is the greatest need today?

Currently all three schools show signs of their age, including plumbing and HVAC issues. Both require routine maintenance and repairs to ensure long-term viability. This isn’t anything we aren’t used to. In fact, we come to expect necessary repairs each year. It is through these capital funds we can either offset the schools’ budget or cover the cost completely.

Why are capital improvement projects necessary?

It is our goal to maintain our school buildings for current and future generations. Many sections of our schools date back over 7 decades. Preventative maintenance and repairs have kept them functional.

A Testament to Capital Improvement Projects: “Raise the Roof”

Roofs are like the hand of God. We can forget their protection until life lets in a little rain.

The St. Joseph School roof was letting in more than a little rain. The problem, however, goes beyond a quick patch and a mop and bucket. Structural analysis of the roof in 2018 told a grim if loving tale. The original school building, dedicated in 1949, had one roof system. Since then, generations of parishioners, alumni, and benefactors raised funds to expand and add to the school, including an extensive middle school addition, which opened in 2009.

The unintended result of these expansion projects was a cobbled-together roof, containing different styles, slopes, and systems. The structural analysis showed that some of the transitions between these roof systems were failing, with two systems failing outright – the roof over the original cafeteria and the roof over the preschool wing.

The BCACS Foundation launched a two-year, $300,000 “Raise the Roof” capital campaign, focused on the St. Joseph School site working in two phases for each of the two priority areas. In 2021, enough funds were raised to complete the first phase of the project over the cafeteria. By the summer of 2022, our generous community contributed enough funds to complete the second phase.

Repairing a roof may not be a flashy job, but it is a noble one. Protecting God’s children is always a noble job.

Walking Together in Faith