For the first time in nearly 40 years, Key West has a Catholic high school housed in its own building, complete with a state-of-the-art science lab, student lounge, lockers and an adaptable classroom that can be separated with a movable wall to split it into two separate rooms, or combine it for larger group learning.
The Basilica School of St. Mary Star of the Sea on Dec. 13 celebrated the dedication of its high school building on the campus of the existing pre-K-8 school that has been shaping young minds for more than a century. The high school is housed in the school’s former auditorium building, which is now unrecognizable, and will officially open to students when they return to class on Jan. 6.
Although the school has been accepting ninth, 10th and 11th graders for a few years now, the high school building was only recently completed, thanks to a capital campaign that raised about $7.5 million.
“By restoring Catholic education in Key West, we will have the opportunity to realize the words of Saint Paul and bring fulfillment in our students’ formation of the whole child — spirit, mind, and body,” states the school’s website. “Catholic education from start to finish will be available to the children of the Lower Florida Keys.”
The dedication ceremony on Dec. 13 featured a visit from Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski from the Archdiocese of Miami.
Basilica School principal Robert Wright thanked the benefactors who made the school a reality.
“Parents and students, particularly our juniors and sophomores and their families, you placed your faith in this vision and courageously stepped into the waters with me, with only a promise of a school to come. While a building provides a space for learning, it is the students and faculty who make it a school. To our dedicated teachers and staff, your yes to Catholic education goes far beyond teaching reading and math. You are laboring in the vineyard of souls, shaping hearts and minds for eternity. One day in heaven, I believe you will see just how profoundly you have impacted the lives of these young people.”
