DE PERE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Notre Dame of De Pere will be welcoming its students back in person with a brand new building. The gift of the school, as well as a new parish center comes entirely from the Mulva family of De Pere.
Construction on Notre Dame School of De Pere started in September.
In less than a year, “what you see behind you has come into fruition it’s a beautiful building,” said project manager Marv Wall.
The three-story school is complete and 300 students will be learning there in-person, next week.
Principal of Notre Dame of De Pere Molly Mares tells FOX…
“Our students have been a big part and huge focus of this entire building. It’s all for them so they’re looking forward to it.”
Pre-K to 8th grade students will fill the hallways. Although construction started before the pandemic, school leaders say there is more space for social distancing.
Half the students will come in the first day, the other half on the second.
“That’ll allow our students and staff to really tour and get to know our space without being at full capacity,” said Mares.
All students will be at school on day three. It will be the first time ever for Notre Dame of De Pere.
The elementary and middle school, originally at separate locations two blocks away, are now coming together under this new roof.
Which Wall tells FOX 11 comes at great timing since parts of the older buildings were nearly 100 years old.
“The efficiency of having one state of the art efficient building instead of two aging relatively old buildings that were getting harder and harder to maintain, so the timing of this donation was really really good.”
Although aging, the new building pays tribute to the past. Featuring stained glass windows from the church and stone from the old building.
Peter Damsgaard of GROTH design group said, “It presents a certain amount of challenges but I think the outcome is well worth the effort and those are moments you can’t replicate and I think they are specific to this project and community.”
The new school was built on the same land, where the old elementary used to be.
Notre Dame of De Pere is part of the GRACE school system. All schools in the system are reopening 5 days a week in person Families do have the option to participate virtually this year.
