Xavier Begins $8.5M Expansion of Athletics, Music, Class Space

At the recent 50th Anniversary Gala celebration at Xavier High School in Middletown, the Sustaining Excellence capital campaign was unveiled to improve its athletic facilities, fine arts program and increase classroom space.

Campaign Chairpersons, Robert Guere and Brian Hetherington (both Xavier Class of 1981) made the announcement and showed architects' renderings of the planned work.

The $8.5 million comprehensive campaign began quietly on July 1, 2012, said Director of Advancement Matt Strekel (Xavier Class of 1999) and has raised more than $3 million so far.

The campaign committee hopes to raise the remaining $5.5 million in the next four years during the public phase.  Technology improvements and growing the school's annual fund are also part of the campaign.

The athletic complex would feature a new turf football/multipurpose field, a new track, a new baseball field and a new athletic facility which would house coaches rooms, team rooms, concession stands and ticket booths. For the foreseeable future, Strekel said, varsity football and baseball home games are still planned to be played at Palmer Field.

The fine arts building would provide needed space for the school’s music program which has been  growing steadily for a number of years and now serves about 125 students. The plan would also create additional classroom space within the main building.