As most of our readers know, Father Lopez Catholic High School has been providing a valued education for area youth since 1959.  Our original campus between Madison and Mason on the east side of Nova Road met the needs of our community for nearly fifty years. However, as the facilities at the landlocked campus began to decline, so did enrollment.      
 
Thanks to the kindness of many school families and other friends of Lopez, we were able to relocate to our new campus in 2008. The generosity of these benefactors, as well as the support from the Diocese of Orlando, provided new life for our school. Since that time, the return on investment has yielded an 80 percent increase in enrollment. It is now up to us to build on this momentum so that we may better serve our current students while preparing for the next generation of Green Wave.

With the above in mind, Father Lopez and the four other Catholic high schools in the Diocese have simultaneously been studying local school needs. The Diocese and an experienced consulting firm have been assisting us along the way. Collectively, we will be determining if the time is right to conduct a diocesan-wide campaign focusing on individual high school needs and some diocesan educational priorities that would benefit all.

Through an information gathering process last spring, we have identified what we believe are the top priorities for Father Lopez. Although they will be explained in more detail at a later date, let me give you a brief summary now.

The identified priorities call for us to:
*    construct an on-campus baseball field, softball field, tennis courts and an adjacent parking area;
*    renew a music program in our school by adding a soundproof music classroom with instrument storage;
*    extend the main parking lot to meet the needs of our growing student and faculty ranks, as well as the larger crowds that come for evening and special events; and,
*    secure funding to help reduce our debt and direct more resources to student needs.

In a few weeks, you will be receiving an electronic interview questionnaire. You will be asked to rate each priority as being high, moderate or low. You will also be asked several questions about your perception of our school, the quality of education offered, the caliber of our faculty and staff, as well as your level of confidence in the leadership of the school. Your input will be most helpful as we strive to determine appropriate next steps for securing our future.

I want to thank you in advance for your thoughtful attention to this questionnaire. Please know that we value and respect your feedback, and we always appreciate your interest, support and encouragement for Father Lopez and the students we serve.