Building Our Future Together

• BOFT FAQs

  (Updated April 18, 2026)
  
  

  1. What is BOFT?

  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.
   
  

  2. Why is building a new space happening now? Is there an urgent need, deadline or opportunity that makes this the right time?  

  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. 
   
   
  

  3. I understand the newly proposed parish hall is not exclusively for the school; however, if St. Clare’s were not located in the current parish hall, would we be exploring the possibility of building this new building? 

  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.
   
  

  4. Why are we focusing on a new building instead of the school renting space elsewhere?

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

  1. 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. 
  2. Housing the school elsewhere would not solve the problem of our over-crowded parish hall and lack of meeting space for ministries and formation.
  3. 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. 
  4. 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.
  5. Housing the school offsite would increase rather than reduce the disconnect between the school and the parish.
  6. Supporting the school is less about helping them in the short term and more about supporting the parish in the long run.

   
  

  5. What has been the process so far for a new building?

   
  

  Year	Action	Result
  2022	St. Clare’s Catholic School, founded and run by St. Francis parishioners, is bumped from their current location (North Tahoe Hebrew Congregation) because the landlord needs to reclaim their space due to growth of their community.	Father Jorge, supported by the Pastoral Council (PC), honors the school’s request to temporarily move into St. Francis’ parish hall.
  2022	Father Jorge forms a Steering Committee to investigate whether the parish could build across the street, a question that parish leadership had been asking for many years. They knew the parish owned over 10 acres, but in terms of land use and coverage, they didn’t know.	After a few meetings, it was apparent they needed involvement from professionals to get the information they sought.   The group dissolved until a decision would be made whether to move forward with a professional and someone to lead the project.
  2023	Father Jorge announces long-term support for the school based on the Pastoral Council’s advice and his own belief that the school is a gift to the parish and directly relates to fulfilling the parish mission.	Father seeks the PCs guidance on how to support the school beyond the temporary arrangement of using the parish hall.
  2023-2024	The school undertakes the process to change zoning to allow for schools.	The process was successfully re-zoned. Schools are allowed as long as the property is at least three acres.
  2025	The BOFT (Building Our Future Together) Committee is formed. Father Jorge invites five parishioners plus a PC liaison to meet to determine how to continue to support the school regarding space.	Options are researched on how best to give the school and parish the space they need, including but not limited to: Expanding the current structure, building in the back parking lot, reconfiguring the parish hall and offices/classroom space, considering off-site rental space, and building across the street on Kelly Drive.   Based mainly on coverage and building restrictions, the committee recommended to Father Jorge and the PC to erect a new building on Kelly Drive.   The BOFT committee also recommended forming a Design Committee, a Capital Campaign Committee (Feasibility), and hire a Project Coordinator to keep the project moving.
  2025	A Design Committee is formed and selects and initiates discussions with an architect to address the parish’s space needs.
  2025	A Project Coordinator is hired.	Work with architect focuses on reducing square footage from the initial proposal from the architect for a 22,000 square foot building.
  2026	Design Committee introduces idea of building only the top floor of the plan to make the project more feasible and allow for future expansion in the same building if the need arises. The plan is discussed with a contractor familiar with building in Incline Village to arrive at a cost estimate.	The plans are on hold until the parish’s feedback and support for the current plan for a 9,000 s.f. building can be determined.
  2026	An independent consultant, the Steier Group arranges a six-week feasibility/planning study to get parishioners’ feedback and to assess the level of parishioner support.

   
   
   
  

  6.  What is the estimated cost? The estimated cost is $17.2 million.            Why is the cost so high? Does the $17.2 million include items such as commercial kitchen appliances, finished electrical fixtures, plumbing fixtures (verses rough-in electrical and plumbing) - also, low voltage wiring (e.g., WiFi, Security cameras, etc.)?

  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.
  

  PROJECT ESTIMATED COST
  Construction cost	$15,614,642	Market rate, 5% cost escalation contingency, weather premiums, design contingency, TRPA
  Architectural & Engineering 9%	1,405,317
  Permitting 2.5%	390,366	Including TRPA fees
  Misc. Utilities 1.5%	234,220
  TOTAL COST	$17,194.545

   
  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.
   
  

  7. Will the parish have to take out a loan?

  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. 
   
  

  8. Will the school pay rent to use the new parish building?

  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.
   
  

  9. Is the Finance Council involved in this project?

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

  10. What is the anticipated timeline for planning, fundraising and construction? 

  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.
    
   
  

  11. What if we can’t raise enough money and it sits unfinished? 

  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. 
   
  

  12. Would the building be where the parking lot is on Kelly Drive?

  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.)
   
   
  

  13. How will supporting St. Clare’s benefit St. Francis?

  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 education 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:
   
  

  Baptisms	The numbers have increased. In the last five years, five school parents and nine students from six different families have received baptism and/or come into full communion with the church.
  OCIA	This group, for adults interested in coming into the Catholic Church, has a record level of 12 people, over three times the normal few and is led by an St. Clare’s (SC) parent, assisted by additional SC parents.
  Altar Servers	This ministry had simply stopped existing at St. Francis, due to a lack of servers. Now, servers (mostly SC students) are trained and organized by an SC parent.
  First Holy Communion  (FHC)	Fr. Jorge reports a noticeable increase in knowledge of the faith and a dramatic increase in parish life participation of SC students after receiving the sacrament of both students and their parents.
  Religious Ed (RE)	Parents of our RE and youth programs have expressed enthusiasm for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) program, which is only possible with the intensively trained SC teachers.
  Confirmation	SC teachers lead many classes and the required retreat.
  Faith Formation	SC helps form parents in the faith, with five required formation nights for parents who have a child receiving FHC.
  Pastoral Council	The Pastoral Council can more easily embrace its intended role as a prayerful visionary body, one that is watching out for the parish’s future. This is likely due to Father Jorge’s leadership, aided by the level of formation of the SC parents serving as members.
  Women Walking Together	This ministry gathers cross-generational participants who read Catholic books and discuss how it pertains to living as a Catholic woman, regardless of stage in life. It was started and is led by an SC parent, hosted in another SC parent’s home and is open to all women.
  Young Men’s Bible Study	This ministry was started and is sustained by an SC teacher.
  Clergy/Vocations	One seminarian and two diaconate candidates emerged from the St. Clare’s community. (The seminarian discerned out and now leads the Bible study.)
  Catholic Education	Forty-eight students are now being educated—heart, mind, and soul—in the Catholic tradition, leading to morally-grounded deep-thinkers to help guide our communities toward light and justice in the future. Such education is our responsibility and identity as Catholics.

   
   
  

  14. What are the non-negotiable elements – the must-haves – for this new building?

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

  • Space for school: including classrooms and outdoor areas.
  • Large gathering space like for the Crab Feed, Christmas party, parish feast day celebration, Days of Reflection, parish synod to accommodate up to 300 for sit-down dinner
  • Commercial kitchen

   
  

  15. Are any items on the wish list if funding allows? 

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

  16. Exactly how would the shared-space building be shared?

  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. 
   
   
  

  17. Wouldn’t it serve the parish better if the school were run by the parish as opposed to being “independent”? 

  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: 
  

  • The parish gets the benefits of a Catholic parish school, without the responsibility: 
  • Hiring and firing of guides/teachers and staff 
  • Recruiting
  • Financial responsibility
  • Priests can focus on the church’s sacramental life 
  • Schools benefit from the specialized skills lay leaders can offer 
  • Schools are less vulnerable to pressure to be more secular (common complaint of parish schools is that they’re only slightly better than public schools in terms of the culture) 
  • Rooted in collaboration and shared vision 
  • The bottom line: “The model of Catholic Education we’ve relied on for a century is no longer working.” (Andy Smarick, one of the authors of “Catholic School Renaissance”). And the question for those people is: “Would you rather continue to have that model and another 50 years of Catholic school loss, or are we going to be open to seeing some of these things different[ly] and try to preserve Catholic education, even though it may look different than in 1965?” 

   
  

  18. What would we do with the building if the school leaves? 

  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.
   
  

  19. What if the next pastor does not support the project? 

  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. 
   
   
  

  20. What if the neighbors oppose the building? 

  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.