The last time diocese built a school in Kansas City was 1965. Look what’s on the way

Crystal Nieves is grateful that she could send her three older children to the Holy Cross School’s preschool program, launching them into the sort of Catholic education that she had growing up. But, she says, her fourth child, born last month, will be especially blessed.

A new Holy Cross early education center is now under construction — the first school building the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-Saint Joseph has built within Kansas City boundaries since St. Regis Academy opened in 1965.

The new preschool broke ground last fall and is set to open in August next to the current 101-year-old K-8 school at 121 N. Quincy Ave., in KC’s Northeast area. In addition to four classrooms, it will have a gym and a theater stage for performances and will be large enough to host community events. It will replace the single preschool classroom in the elementary school’s basement.

“I’m excited,” says Nieves, herself a graduate of St. Mary’s High School, an Independence Catholic school that’s now closed. “My new kid is definitely going to benefit from it, and I’m definitely looking forward to her enjoying it in the coming years.”

Over three years, the diocese raised $7.2 million for the new building through its Bright Futures Fund, says the fund’s executive director, Jeremy Liling. Enrollment throughout the diocese has grown 10% in the last year, and the need for early childhood education for Catholic families in the Northeast community is crucial, he says.

“A bunch of people have seen and appreciated what our Catholic schools have done in all communities, but especially this community, and banded together to make sure that we were able to expand to meet the needs of the community,” says Liling. “With Catholic education, we are part of the puzzle, but we are not the ultimate solution for everybody, so I think it’s us continuing to find ways to serve kids in whatever learning environment best suits them to be successful.”

The Holy Cross preschool opened 11 years ago with just half a dozen children and has now reached its limit of 24, so it has had to turn away families, said Shelley Henn, Holy Cross’ principal for the past three years. The new preschool can hold up to 60 students, ages 4 and 5.

“That area has been identified as what has been referred to as an early childhood desert, meaning there’s not a lot of options for parents,” says Liling. “There is this underserved population in that area and we determined that we wanted to serve that age range as much as possible to help prepare them for success.”

The diocese oversees 31 Catholic schools, including early childhood education centers in Lee’s Summit, Blue Springs and Independence. Most Catholic elementary schools don’t offer preschool.

“After being in education for so long it’s important to have high quality early childhood education, and it’s fundamental to a child’s development,” says Henn. “Building the facility will represent a long-term commitment, and it signifies that Holy Cross School is here to stay.”

The Missouri Department of Education emphasizes that 90% of a child’s brain develops by age 5, and children’s lifelong education benefits when they can get an early start. In 2022, Gov. Mike Parson created the Missouri Early Childhood State Advisory Council to combat inequities.

Holy Cross serves one of the most diverse areas in the city: 47% Hispanic, 28% white, 12% Black, 8% Asian and 5% other, according to the U.S. census.

According to showmekcschools.org 62% of the student body of Holy Cross is Hispanic, so the school’s bilingual teachers are vital, Henn says.

“The majority of our children are Catholic but we welcome anyone that wants to be here,” she says. “The biggest issue I see is the language barrier because many students come here speaking little or no English and some schools in the area may have limited resources to accommodate them.”

Though students of all faiths are welcome, there are required religious studies classes, daily prayers and a weekly Mass.

Parents like Nieves think children benefit from the faith-based learning.

“I think faith in the classroom helps build a strong, loving foundation within the child where they learn to be kind to others and learn to be respectful,” says Nieves, who, in addition to her baby, has one preschooler and two kids in the Holy Cross elementary school.

Tuition at Holy Cross is $6,375 per year, and the Bright Futures Fund provides a $2,575 scholarship. Liling said it has assisted over 17,000 families since its founding in 1989.

“I am thankful for Bright Future and other great organizations that have been helping to push funds toward scholarships for parents who may not be able to afford tuition,” says Nieves. “I already thought the school was amazing, but this will really help a lot of parents in the area who are in need of a place for their child.”

For Holy Cross enrollment information,visit hcskcmo.org.