FAYETTVILLE — A Catholic high school in northwest Arkansas needs support of many kinds — money, prayers, enthusiasm — from all the area parishes if it’s to become a reality.
That’s the assessment of Kerry Laman, who’s heading the Northwest Arkansas Catholic High School Committee.
Laman, who in his day job works for the General Mills team supporting Wal-Mart, is enthusiastic about prospects for a new school, but he’s also cautious. The idea of a Catholic high school in the region was first floated in the early 1990s, and Laman knows some people are discouraged and disappointed there’s still no Catholic school in the region beyond eighth grade.
“I think people may be frustrated — they want to see bricks going up,” he said.
But, Laman added, “I think we’re better served to be cautious.”
The approval and construction can’t commence until a new bishop is named for the Diocese of Little Rock. Laman said the committee believed former Bishop J. Peter Sartain would have ultimately favored creation of the new school, and some school supporters felt there was a setback when Bishop Sartain was tapped for a new position in Illinois.
Vernell Bowen, superintendent of Catholic schools, and Laman said the committee has remained active, however, and has made good use of the interim period between bishops.
Bowen said she believes the committee has not been hampered by the absence of a bishop.
“I think the possibility exists in the next two years — depending on when we get a bishop — we are looking at starting a capital campaign to build a school,” she said.
A three- to five-year campaign to raise money would be followed by a couple of years to build the school.
“We are moving forward with the plan that Meitler (Consultants of Wisconsin) gave us in the feasibility study,” Bowen said.
Meitler Consultants Inc. surveyed parishioners three years ago and predicted a high school enrollment of 338 students. While there are smaller schools in the country, such a small enrollment would have been “financially challenging,” Laman said. “It wasn’t a slam dunk to get (the school) to work.”
He and other committee members think Meitler may have underestimated the enrollment because the consultant didn’t consider population trends.
“What I think the consultant missed was we weren’t opening a school in 2004,” Laman said. The area’s population continues to grow, drawing people from heavily Catholic cities like St. Louis and Chicago. Laman estimated the region’s Catholic population could reach 40,000 by 2010.
Catholics made up just 3 percent of the northwest Arkansas population in 1990. If current trends continue, it could be 91/2 percent soon, he continued. The committee believes enrollment for a northwest Arkansas Catholic high school could reach 500 students within six years.
In the next 30 to 60 days, the committee plans to have Meitler Consultants return to look over the new projections and, the members hope, to verify that their reasoning is sound.
Previously, experts told the group it was critical to have another Catholic elementary school in the region if a high school were to be successful and that will become reality this fall with the opening of St. Raphael School in Springdale.
Laman believes it’s important for all the parishes in the area to support the school. The parishes are all represented on the school committee, which consists of 14 parish representatives and three elementary school principals.
For those people who are eager to see it happen, he encourages them to keep the committee’s work in their thoughts and prayers.
“If it’s not supported broadly, then it’s going to be more of a challenge,” Laman said.
