More Students, Stronger Services: Building a Brighter Future

With the new building, Morning Star will have the capacity to welcome 30 additional students.

But this expansion is about more than creating additional seats. Every space is being designed with our students in mind, from calming environments and thoughtful layouts to flexible classrooms that can support a wide range of learning styles, abilities, and needs.

More students. More possibilities. More opportunity.

The Educational Expansion Project will allow Morning Star to do more than welcome additional students. It will create specialized spaces that strengthen our programs, expand learning opportunities, and allow us to share our expertise with educators throughout the community.

• A Better Life Skills Lab - An expanded, more ADA accessible Life Skills Lab will provide students with greater opportunities to build the practical skills that support independence and success beyond the classroom.

• A SMART Lab for STEM Learning - Technology and STEM education are shaping the world around us. A dedicated SMART Lab will give Morning Star students new opportunities to explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through hands-on learning designed around their unique abilities and needs.

• Dedicated Decompression Rooms - For students who need a quiet, structured space to regulate, reset, and refocus, dedicated decompression rooms will strengthen Morning Star's behavioral program and provide staff with appropriate spaces to work individually with students.

• Observation Rooms in Every Classroom - Perhaps one of the most exciting opportunities, observation rooms will allow teachers in training, interns, and Diocesan educators to see best practices in special education in action without disrupting the learning environment, expanding Morning Star’s role as a resource for the broader community. These observation rooms will be used as part of affordable, and at times free, professional development opportunities to local educators and help them earn their required 20 ESE recertification points.

The Capital Project - $7.5 million:

We have raised $5 million toward our capital goal of $7.5 million. The remaining $2.5 million will allow us to begin construction fully funded, ensuring the project is completed without interest or debt.

Beyond the Building - $2.5 million more:

Our fundraising vision extends beyond the construction itself. We aspire to raise an additional $2.5 million to establish a sustainability and endowment fund that will support long term operations, program growth, and continued excellence at Morning Star Catholic School.

Without expansion, Morning Star will remain at capacity, limiting our ability to respond to the growing needs of students and families.

We cannot grow our programs to meet demand.

• More families will be turned away. Our elementary and middle school programs cannot grow, despite significant demand, particularly at the elementary level.

• Our behavioral program will remain limited. As the need for early intervention and behavioral support grows, we cannot welcome more students requiring one-to-one assistance. For some families, limited space can mean being denied enrollment because we cannot adequately support their child's needs.

• STEM opportunities will remain limited. STEM learning can continue in existing classrooms, but limited technology and space restrict the hands on experiences we can provide.

• Students with mobility challenges will continue to face barriers. Our current Life Skills Lab is difficult to navigate, limiting full access to the experiences and skills building opportunities it provides.

• Our clinic will remain limited. Our current clinic is small and does not include a bathroom, limiting its ability to fully support the health and personal care needs of our students throughout the school day.

• We will continue trying to make space instead of having the space we need. Offices and rooms can only be moved and repurposed so many times. Our school has reached the point where creativity alone cannot solve a space problem.

The need is here. The families are here. Now, we need the space to better serve them.