Building Project FAQs

1. Where are we in the project?

In light of the results of the planning study, the Design Committee refined the scope of the project. In July and November 2026, we hosted a parish assembly to give parishioners information and to answer questions regarding the project. In September, a Building Committee, comprised of members of our Pastoral and Finance councils and parish community, heard proposals from three experienced local builders and selected SB Builders from Reno for the project.

We are excited to team with SB Builders and H+K Architects, the same firm that created the renderings for the feasibility/planning study, to design a beautiful and modest school building that matches the exterior aesthetic of our church. This will ensure that the new building looks and feels like an extension of the current church campus. The builder and architect will work with us to produce plans within the fundraising range from the feasibility study ($4.5 - 8.5M). We plan to officially launch our capital campaign in late spring/early summer 2027 timeframe. 

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

Oct. 2026 - Feb. ’27: Architect, contractor and building committee work to create plans that meet needs and are within budget.

Mar.- May 2027:          We’ll spend the spring completing key campaign preparations like recruiting leadership and garnering additional feedback from parishioners and potential donors on the conceptual plans.

June 2027:      The public campaign begins and is slated to take place throughout the summer. Before the campaign's public launch, we will also reach out to a small group of donors to help get the campaign off to a strong start.

Fall 2027: Permitting and approvals.

May 2028:                Begin construction.

August 2029:           Construction completed for the 2029-2030 school year.

3. What will the building look like?

We have not gotten that far so do not know yet for sure. The exterior will relate to the look of our church building. For the structure, we have investigated the cost-efficiency of pre-fab, metal, and concrete blocks in addition to wood and will most likely go with wood construction built onsite.

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

No, the current parking lot would remain as it is. The new building would be located just past the south side of the parking lot in what is now a sloped wooded area.

6. If we focus on the school as the agreed-upon priority, is the parish hall out forever?

No. After considering numerous options for building or remodeling, it became clear there is no other place on our property except where we plan to build. We are working to include sufficient buildable space for a future expansion in the new building plans.

7. Would the new building be exclusively for the school?

Yes, for the most part. The school would have exclusive use of the building during school hours. In the summer the parish would be able to use some of the space, as needed.

8. Are you leaving room for future expansion?

Yes. The option we choose will be the most economical, based on the expertise of our architect and builder. These expansion plans would need to be taken into consideration in the current building project and would thereby increase the cost of construction. Thus, we see room for future expansion as a top priority but are also working within a tight budget.

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

First, the building is being designed with an eye toward being able to host day retreats. This would be a possibility during the summers. Should the school leave/close for whatever reason, the parish could open the building up to the diocese for day retreat use. Remodeling the building would also be possible to create a bigger space for other churches to rent out for larger community gatherings as well as a potential venue for wedding receptions.

10. What were the results of the planning study to assess parishioners’ priorities?

The top two priorities gleaned from the March 2026 planning study were to:

1.      Free up existing parish hall

2.      Create significantly more space for St. Clare’s school

Fortunately, these are entirely complementary priorities, as most respondents agreed that when the school moves out of the parish hall, the available space would be sufficient for parish needs. The study helped us prioritize moving the school into its own space, and that is what we are focusing on. 

Parish leadership in collaboration with the school investigated possibilities for more space and decided a modest new building was the best option. The current design we are working from is significantly smaller than our previous design, as we are no longer including a parish hall (though it remains a possibility for future expansion).

11. What was the financial range the study determined our parish could raise?

Based on interviews with parishioners among other factors, our fundraising professionals (The Steier Group) determined our parish could raise $4.5-8.5 million.
  

12. 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 lasting way. Simply put, they are an investment in our parish’s future. And the need is urgent.

Washoe County anticipates growth 20% between 2025-2050. As of August 2026, all the Catholic schools in the diocese have waiting lists. [Bishop, May 2026 DPC meeting] Washoecounty.gov.

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. 

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.

13. Why was the first project estimate of $17.2 million so high?

The initial round of project planning was a “broad brushstrokes” attempt to include many different stakeholder priorities under one roof.  With the feasibility study we were able to clarify both parish and donor priorities, which enabled us to narrow the scope of the project significantly to design a project that is actually doable.

15. 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.

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

The agreement between the school and the parish will provide continuity for a set number of years, thus ensuring stability regardless of changing clergy.

17. What is the cost of the project?

We will have the answer to this question at the end of the design phase, which should be Spring 2027.

18. What if the cost of the project exceeds the $8.5M top of the capacity range determined in the study?

The building committee would work with the architect and contractor to value engineer the project so that it falls within the range.

19. Would 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.
  

20. What if we can’t raise enough money and the building 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. 

21. What is the financial risk of having a school on premises at the current time?

St. Clare’s Tahoe School operates independently from St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. Each has their own and separate liability insurance coverage. Under the lease agreement, St. Clare’s must name St. Francis as additional insured, to further remove liability from the church. These measures serve to minimize financial risk to the church.

22. How will the building costs be covered?

The building will be owned by the parish and operated by the school. St. Clare’s will be responsible for covering the operating costs of the new building. If possible, we hope to include an endowment fund in our building campaign to ensure the continued success of the new building.

23. Where can I find financial information regarding St. Clare’s?

Below is the graphic that runs annually in the bulletin. This one was distributed Oct. 4, 2026.

24. Is the Finance Council involved in this project?

The Finance Council approved a project that meets the parameters defined in the Feasibility/Planning Study. A member of the FC is on the Building Committee to help with financial oversight.

25. Who has approved this project so far?

The Diocese: The final go-ahead from the diocese will occur when we have a specific project to submit, including its total cost. So far we have only had conceptual drawings. The diocese requires that we have 100% of the cost collected before construction begins. Half of the collected money can be in pledges.

The Parish Councils and Parish Corporation: The St. Francis Pastoral and Finance Councils approved a motion for the building project to move forward based on a smaller, school-only project where the estimated cost is at or below the $8.5 million upper limit of the potential fundraising range. Should the project cost estimate exceed $8.5M, it would have to be justified by identified and additional donor(s).

Also approved by the councils was expenditure of up to $80,000 for planning and permitting, which would be paid from the existing building fund and be fully reimbursed at the completion of the project. These preliminary fees would be paid by the school should the project not be completed.

In addition, the parish corporation has given approval to proceed.

26. How many students are in the school?

This year there are 45 students.

27. What is the make-up of the student body and staff of St. Clare's?

St. Clare's currently has forty-five students ages PreK-8th grade and seven employees. St. Clare's board and administration to include the Executive Director are volunteer positions that are unpaid. St. Clare's currently serves twenty-two families. Thirteen of those families and twenty-seven of the forty-five students are St. Francis parishioners.

28. Does St. Clare’s have a high school?

For two years, 2024-2026, St. Clare’s operated a high school based on the popular and growing Chesterton program. The high school plan is currently paused. With interest, they would consider re-opening the Chesterton program in the future.

29. 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, such as recruiting, training and firing guides/teachers and staff, and financial responsibility

• Priests can focus on the church’s sacramental life 

• Schools benefit from the specialized skills lay leaders can offer 

• Lay Catholics are able to contribute their unique gifts and talents in the building up of the kingdom through their work in Catholic education.

• 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?” 

30. Does the Diocese support Catholic Education in the Diocese?

Yes. The diocese has a Catholic school tuition assistance endowment of $3 million, providing $120,000 a year in tuition assistance support, including some St. Clare’s students.

31. How do we know there’s a need for Catholic schools in the area? I thought Catholic schools are closing.

They are, but fortunately not in our diocese. All five Catholic schools in the diocese have a waiting list and the population is growing in Reno. There is abundant unmet need. Washoe County records show an anticipated growth in population from 2025-2050 of 20%. Aside from that, St. Clare’s tends to draw interest from outside the local area as well.

Quality Catholic education is an essential ingredient in our parishes thriving long-term. The future of our faith relies on the next generation of Catholics receiving quality instruction in catechetics, apologetics, and a strong Catholic world view.

32. Does St. Clare’s pursue government-funded free meals for students?

St. Clare’s doesn’t currently provide meals to students. Providing meals requires food handler licenses, etc. which are time- and staff-intensive endeavors. Especially important, if the school were to get into providing meals, we would need a commercial kitchen and a lot more funding.

33. How does 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. The vitality of a parish depends on how well it forms its youth because we’ve learned we can no longer count on faith being passed down from generation to generation.

That means we need to form all generations. This is what it means to again be in an Apostolic time rather than a Maintenance era. 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 helped rejuvenate the parish with new life, specifically the children we see attending and serving at Mass. 

• Helped solidify our parish's new young adult ministry, with key staff as participating members.

• Is our responsibility as a parish to support parents in educating their children in the faith.

The school adds vitality to many 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:
   
  

34. What is a quick historical summary of the project to date?

• St. Clare's Catholic Montessori school has 45 students and has been housed in our parish for 5 years now.

• They must turn students away because they do not have enough space. It is a uniquely impressive school and draws people from different areas. This fall they had over 20 families interested in touring the school.

• Parish leadership in collaboration with the school investigated possibilities for more space and decided a modest new building was the best option.

• The building would be for exclusive school use during the school year.

• The parish would own the building.

• The stage we are at is designing the school, which will be roughly 7,500 square feet, but do not yet have a final floor plan.

• Based on strong recommendations, we will be using the CMAR (Construction Manager at Risk) process for design, which is where the contractor is involved early in the process to work with the owner and architect to help design the building and suggest cost-saving options.

• The capital campaign is anticipated to begin March 2027 and run through the summer. The anticipated goal amount won't be certain until we get the cost estimate.

• Construction would hopefully begin May 2028.

• The project would be completed by August 2029.

• A planning study was held in May 2026 which showed the parish's fundraising capacity at $4.5M - $8.5M.

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