Project FAQs

FAQs

1. What is BOFT?

BOFT is an acronym for “Building Our Future Together,” and was coined by the Pastoral Council as we 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 the cause. 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 evening 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:

a)  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. 

b) Housing the school elsewhere would not solve the problem of our over-crowded parish hall and lack of meeting space for ministries and formation.

c) 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. 

d) 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.

e) Housing the school offsite would increase rather than reduce the disconnect between the school and the parish.

f)    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?

6. 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.

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’s not clear whether our parish can financially 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 doing the project but is not directly involved. The diocese requires we hire campaign professionals to spearhead a planning study and then, if there’s enough support, a capital campaign. 

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 architect. 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 of the parking lot (the long side). (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.

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:

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 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 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 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. 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.