Published: March 24, 2008 12:37 pm            

New school plan moves forward

Plans for a new St. Anthony Grade School building are again underway, but whether Sacred Heart students will be joining St. Anthony at the new school remains unclear.

Monsignor Leo Enlow of St. Anthony of Padua Parish announced in a Feb. 17 bulletin he had received a letter from Bishop George Lucas approving the construction of a kindergarten through eighth-grade school facility.

“Through the generosity of some anonymous donors, this dream became a reality. And so one year to this date, I announced that we would be building a new grade school,” Enlow said in the bulletin, referring to an announcement he made in February 2007.

He later addressed the issue of consolidation with Sacred Heart.

“Through this past year, we engaged in much discussion concerning this blending of two systems of education. Needless to say, there were many obstacles, but none seemed to be so overwhelming that they could not be overcome, except the configuration of the schools.

“This was the major stumbling block and one that could not be resolved. Because of this, it was decided that the best course of action was to move forward as a parish with our original strategic plan. And so, we petitioned the bishop for approval for a new grade school facility that would replace the one we currently have,” Enlow said.

Plans for the new grade school building are currently underway.

“Right now we’re finalizing plans with the architect, so there’s not much to tell until we have the final plan done,” said Scott Kabbes, a member of the St. Anthony Grade School Committee.

Kabbes said he would know more once the architect finished his plans at the end of April. A St. Anthony of Padua Parish meeting is scheduled for May 7 to discuss details of the new grade school.

Kabbes thought a groundbreaking ceremony will take place in June, and the committee hopes the new building will be completed in time for the start of the 2009-2010 school year in August 2009.

As for current thoughts on consolidation between Sacred Heart and St. Anthony, both parishes are uncertain when it will happen but are preparing for the possibility.

“There were some talks of consolidation for years. Right now, the new school is only for St. Anthony, but it’s built with consolidation in mind,” said the Rev. Daren Zehnle of St. Anthony.

“At this point, consolidation is still an open question. There were several aspects of consolidation yet to be resolved. The bishop is the one who has to make those decisions,” said the Rev. Robert Spriggs of Sacred Heart.

Telephone and e-mail messages to the Diocese of Springfield have not been returned.

Whether consolidation comes, St. Anthony is happy to get a new building.

“We look forward to a new grade school facility, a building that will be designed to accommodate any blending of schools in the future, and a building that will not have the worries of old boilers, leaking roofs, and inaccessibility for anyone suffering from a physical disability,” Enlow said.

Angie Faller can be reached at 217-347-7151 ext. 131 or angie.faller@

effinghamdailynews.com.