Sacred Heart School in Bellevue is undergoing a major remodel as part of a capital campaign in a joint effort with Sacred Heart Church. Built in 1951, the elementary and middle school is expanding its facilities to accommodate the nearly 400 students who enroll each year.

The 10,000-square-foot expansion and remodel of Sacred Heart School began in June and is scheduled to be complete by the end of summer, 2010. The students have remained in their regular classrooms during the major remodel, with a majority of the loud and disruptive construction work having been completed prior to the beginning of this school year, according to David Burroughs, the principal of Sacred Heart School.

The capital campaign has raised $8.7 million; the total cost for phase 1 is $8.3 million with the extra money going to phase 2.

The expansion and remodel of Sacred Heart School is the work of Integrus Architecture based out of Seattle and Spokane. Integrus Architecture has extensive experience with school design, including the redesign of Sherwood Forest Elementary in Bellevue and Eastside Catholic School in Sammamish.

The first phase of construction for the Sacred Heart School includes a newly built administration wing which will incorporate a meeting space, reception area, health room and a staff lounge. The remodeling will also include a new art room and science lab for students, creating additional workspace and storage room.

The second phase of the project will transform the current administration wing into a remodeled reading specialist room and pre-k classroom. The third and final phase of the remodeling will take place over the summer months and will include the installation of a cushioned synthetic floor for the school gymnasium and a new covered passageway connecting the middle school hallway to the music and spanish rooms.

Funding for the remodeling was a result of a campaign led by Rev. Pat Ritter. The funding was raised over an eight-month period.

“It has been a very fast process. We were fortunate the campaign kicked off before the economy went south. We were glad the money was available and we were able to continue,” Burroughs explained. “The project has provided a fair number of jobs and the reduction in material costs have allowed us to do additional work.”

The new passageway connecting the middle school to classrooms was not initially part of the scope of the project, but was added into the budget due to reduced costs of construction.

“Parishioners and school families have been very generous in stepping up and supporting this program. A committee led by Greg and Tracey Russell worked diligently for a few years to identify the needs of the school and the larger parish and setting up phasing for all of it. They spent a significant amount of time doing the ground work that made the Capital Campaign so successful.”

Lindsay Larin can be reached at 425-453-4602.