BUTLER TOWNSHIP -- A former Catholic school in Schuylkill County will soon be home to students once again.
The North Schuylkill School District purchased the old Cardinal Brennan School near Ashland with the hopes of turning it into a middle school.
At the North Schuylkill Junior Senior High School, grades seventh through twelfth share the same building.
But what if the middle school students could have a place of their own?
“That actually does sound pretty awesome,” said seventh grader Hailey Morgan.
Now the school district has bought the former Cardinal Brennan Catholic School, which closed in 2007, near Ashland.
Cardinal Brennan`s campus sits right next to North Schuylkill`s campus and Superintendent Dr. Robert Ackell says the hope is to use this as the new middle school.
“Right now we are a two building district, we have an elementary school and we have a junior senior high school so we do lack a middle school concept,” said Dr. Ackell.
Dr. Ackell says the 96 acre campus that the district bought for $825,000, not only holds the school; it holds a gymnasium, a field house and field.
Parents and students say a middle school is much needed.
“A new start for the middle schoolers and a chance to have their own building so they get away from the high schoolers a little bit more and we`ll have more room to walk through the hallways,” said seventh grader Katelynd Troyer.
“To transition from the elementary into a middle school instead of going from the elementary right to a high school because if you have to go to gym class they mix in with the older kids,” said parent Christa Kotzo, who has a daughter in fifth grade.
“It`s actually really exciting,” said seventh grader Jessica Vanhorn. “I know that my mom used to go there so I can`t wait to see what it`s like.”
Joe Newhouser lives right next to Cardinal Brennan`s campus and is thrilled to hear it`s going to be a school again.
“Great for the area, it will draw more people in, it`s the best thing they could have did, I`ve been waiting for it for the last couple years,” said Newhouser.
The superintendent thanked the district's business manager's financial planning, saying no taxes will be raised from the purchase of Cardinal Brennan.
