A 4.5-acre undeveloped property along South First Street will soon become the new home of San Juan Diego Catholic High School, which is currently based behind the vacant land.[/caption]
More than two years of fundraising has paid off for San Juan Diego Catholic High School, which in late August was approved to build a new facility on South First Street.
The first construction phase of the new $9.6 million school begins in November and will be completed by January 2017, said Don Hill, San Juan Diego High School director of development.
The currently undeveloped 4.5-acre property, owned by the Catholic Diocese of Austin, is located south of West Oltorf Street and is immediately next to San Juan Diego High School’s existing building. San Jose Catholic Church will reassume the building after the relocation, Hill said.
Ninety percent of the school’s 170 students are Hispanic, Hill said, and all but 20 percent of tuition is paid using outside contributions.
Students work part-time internships five days per month at participating companies throughout Austin, helping students gain real-world, practical experience before college, Hill said. The hands-on approach has helped San Juan Diego High School students earn 100 percent placement into four-year universities, he said.
San Juan Diego Catholic High School will begin construction this fall on a 4.5-acre property along South First Street immediately south of West Oltorf Street.[/caption]
“This school gives them a chance to get a quality education whereas they might not have been otherwise able to get one,” Hill said.
The school has so far fundraised $6.5 million for the $9.6 million first phase. An additional $3 million will need to be raised to finish out the new school’s second floor, enabling the high school to accommodate up to 450 students upon completion, President and Principal Pam Jupe said.
“With the growth of the Hispanic community and the growth of the south side of the city, more families are hearing about us and our success stories,” she said. “They’re trying to give their students those same opportunities, and that’s why we want to be poised for that growth as more families learn about us.”
San Juan Diego Catholic High School will begin construction this fall on a 4.5-acre property along South First Street immediately south of West Oltorf Street.[/caption]
“This school gives them a chance to get a quality education whereas they might not have been otherwise able to get one,” Hill said.
The school has so far fundraised $6.5 million for the $9.6 million first phase. An additional $3 million will need to be raised to finish out the new school’s second floor, enabling the high school to accommodate up to 450 students upon completion, President and Principal Pam Jupe said.
“With the growth of the Hispanic community and the growth of the south side of the city, more families are hearing about us and our success stories,” she said. “They’re trying to give their students those same opportunities, and that’s why we want to be poised for that growth as more families learn about us.”
