BOFT

(Updated April 22, 2026)
 
 

BOFT is an acronym for “Building Our Future Together,” and was coined by the Pastoral Council as they sought to address the future goals and needs of the parish in light of our mission.
 Under its umbrella are discussions about not only St. Clare’s Catholic School, but also the September 2025 parish Synod, developing parish leadership, and improving integration of ministries and mission.
  
 

The opportunity in front of us right now is one we keep tripping over, literally: the school. So far, St. Clare’s has been our most successful way to form the youth in a way they’ll stick around. Simply put, they are an investment in our parish’s future.
 And their need is urgent.
  
 Faced with this opportunity, the Pastoral Council has been asking, Is there a feasible approach to creating space for the school that can also be used for something else?
  
 In Bishop Muggenborg’s Sept. 18, 2025 letter to supporters of the diocese, he wrote: “Catholic education is thriving in the Diocese of Reno, with growing waitlists and rising enrollment…showing a strong demand for faith-based academic programs. The growth underscores the value families place on Catholic education and its role in forming students both academically and spiritually.” He mentioned that every school in the diocese has a waitlist.
  
 St. Francis is a parish that historically has rallied for Catholic education. The opportunity has moved from our doorstep into the building. It is good. But we need to make plans now to ensure a vibrant future. There’s never the perfect time. And costs will only increase the longer we wait. 
  
  
 

It's likely we would. In fact, parish leaders have been wondering for decades what we could and would build across the street if we had the opportunity. We have learned that we can build there (39,000 square feet of coverage) and we do have an increasing need for space to accommodate our growing youth programs and Sunday formation classes.
 A larger parish hall and commercial kitchen make sense as we anticipate continued growth. While the Catholic Church has been growing steadily in recent years and local population trends show Incline Village growing at an annual rate of about 1.4% we are building modestly and versatilely so that so that as parish needs change, we can better pivot the use of the building to meet those needs.
 Regarding our current situation, we already have more meetings on Sundays than we have space for, even with the parish hall available, such as:
  
 

• OCIA (12 people this year)
• Confirmation I (25) 
• Confirmation II (25) 
• Religious Education (42)
• Father’s Spanish class for adults who were never confirmed (10) 
  • Provide additional space for adult faith formation, which was a top desire of the recent (Sept. 2025) parish synod 

 
 Another common problem is meetings spilling into or interrupting each other because new arrivals for one meeting must cross the parish hall to attend another.
  
 

 We are first trying what we consider the better of two options because:
 

• Having the school on parish grounds helps the students to thrive in their faith. Every Tuesday, St. Clare’s students kneel at Adoration, and every Thursday the whole school gathers for Mass and Father Jorge’s infamous Q&A sessions with the students. 
• Housing the school elsewhere would not solve the problem of our over-crowded parish hall and lack of meeting space for ministries and formation.
• Benefits from our partnership with the school would decrease for both the parish and school if the school were offsite. For example, it is more organic to have cross-mingling of the wider parish community when the school is housed on the parish property, which builds bonds between the two groups. 
• It was the suggestion of the BOFT committee formed in 2025 for the purpose of looking at options for housing the school and is Father Jorge’s preference as well.
• Housing the school offsite would increase rather than reduce the disconnect between the school and the parish.
• Supporting the school is less about helping them in the short term and more about supporting the parish in the long run.

Yes, all the items mentioned above are included in the figure. Factors contributing to the high cost are:
  
 

• Significant earthwork, given the slope of the land and beyond that, additional excavation to allow for future expansion on the basement level, if needed.
• Accounting for inflation for when construction would begin 1-2 years from now.
• More challenging weather at elevation.
• Design and permitting needs to accommodate TRPA requirements.
• This is a conservative estimate, which increases our confidence in its accuracy.
• While the structure wouldn’t have “frills,” it would use quality materials so that it endures.

To the construction cost we added additional expenses to give a realistic picture, summarized in the chart below. These percentages were from our architect who has a current project in Incline so knows the additional costs of building 
 in Incline.
 

 
 Please note that opportunities for savings are typical when buildings, designers and subcontractors often bill below market rate for donor-driven projects. Our parish has historically rallied for a cause. Still, it is clear it would be financial challenge for our parish to support a project of this scope.
  
 

No. The diocese requires we have all the money raised (half can be in pledges) before the shovel hits the dirt.
 The goal is to raise all the money through donations of parishioners, school families and anyone else interested in investing in the Catholic Church. Many of the school families are parishioners. 
  
 

Yes. We have not yet worked out the details of the lease, but we do know that the intention is for the cost to cover the monthly operating expenses of the building. While we do expect St. Clare’s to cover such expenses, we see the school as an investment in the future of our parish, our community, and beyond.
  
 

The Finance Council supports doing the feasibility study but is not yet directly involved in the project.

No, the current plans would only continue if the third-party consultants (The Steier Group) has found enough support for the project. So please participate, however you feel about it. We will share Steier’s recommendation by the end of May.

The feasibility/planning study will deliver a result by end of May. If there is sufficient support to move forward with the project, we would then begin a capital campaign and enter into planning with architects. According to diocesan policy, we cannot break ground until we have raised 100% of the cost (half can be in pledges).
  
 The total estimated time for completion would be 3-5 years from now if the project is undertaken.
   
  
 

Part of the reason for the policy above, is to prevent this. Even before the policy was in place, St. Francis never experienced this, as pastors have been diligent in ensuring we have the funds before we build. 
  
 

No, it would not take the place of the parking lot, but that is the general area of the building. We would still have the parking lot and the building would begin at the south end (long side) of the parking lot. (The fact that this is the side of a hill contributes to a high cost of excavation.)
  
  
 

It’s no mystery that the viability of the parish depends on new members coming in the doors. It’s not news that the vitality of a parish depends on how well they form their youth. We can no longer rest on faith being passed down from generation to generation. We need to form all generations. This is what it means to again be in an Apostolic time rather than a Maintenance era.
 Thus, the school’s interests are not separate from the parish’s interests. They need us; we need them. 
  
 The school is our partner in ministry because it:
 

• Bears fruit, which we’ve seen in the increased baptisms into the faith from school students and families.
• Shares our mission to evangelize and serve all in North Lake Tahoe.
• Has rejuvenated the parish with new life, specifically the children we see attending and serving at Mass. And sometimes even crying.
• Has helped solidify our parish's new young adult ministry, with its staff members.
• Is our responsibility as a parish to support parents in educating their children in the faith.

  
 The school adds vitality to all levels of parish life. St. Clare’s provides a proven pathway into the Church for parents and students who do not have a faith background or who have fallen away. St. Clare’s families offer a live example of embracing a Catholic lifestyle, inspiring both Catholics and non-Catholics alike. In addition, the involvement of school parents has enhanced many parish ministries, for example:
  
 

We are trying to maximize flexibility and multi-use of space to accommodate different needs, now and in the future. The must-haves are:
 

Beautifully landscaped courtyard and prayer walk, 24/7 Adoration Chapel. 
  
  
 

With the exception of the tabernacle, all parish space is used 100% for the needs of the faith community as determined by the Pastor in consultation with the Pastoral Council. We embrace, therefore, that space use will shift over time as needs change, encouraged by the never-changing space of the Lord dwelling in our midst. 
  
 That said, to keep the project as modest as possible, it is truly shared space. Currently, our greatest need is space for the school. Thus, the school’s lease agreement will give them priority during school times. 
  
 While the largest space is designed for the needs of the broader parish community, recognizing the limitations of current parish hall, it must also be used for students. Therefore, it must double as two sizable classrooms. This means classroom furnishings will again be on wheels and the school will clear the space when our existing parish hall is insufficient for extra large gatherings.
  
 Another shared space would be a few classrooms, separate from the hall. These would also be used for Confirmation, OCIA and other faith formation, including serving as breakout rooms for days of reflection or other gatherings offering small group discussions. 
  
  
 

Not according to the current thought leaders on the topic. Here’s why they say the trend of parishes preferring Independent vs. Parochial Schools is growing: 
 

Because the building is designed for multi-use, if the school leaves, there are many possible uses for that space if we feel our parish doesn’t need the entire building. Other churches need space; larger community groups need space. Another option would be to rent the space to a charter school, as is the case with St. Thomas Aquinas cathedral in Reno. The federal money they receive has been crucial to keeping that parish operating. Finally, renting the space for wedding receptions is always an option in our destination-wedding location.
  
 

If the feasibility study indicates the parish should proceed with the project, Father Jorge would request of the bishop to stay longer in order to ensure the success of the project. 
  
  
 

We heard from some neighbors during the successful two-year process of changing the property zoning to permit schools. Neighbors’ concerns at that time were increased traffic flow, noise and aesthetics of the Kelly property. 
  
 We have taken such feedback to heart, communicating with school parents that all drop-offs and pick-ups should be routed by way of Mt. Rose Highway to Kelly Drive and not through the neighborhood. The play area for the older children in the current building was moved farther away from homes and plans for the new building would create even more distance from neighbors. We have also become more aware of the visual impact of the space, moving both our garbage dumpster and storage container off that location. Additionally, to appease neighbors’ concerns, we moved away from the idea of portable classrooms as a permanent solution. The designed building would enhance the aesthetics of that space.