By David DeKunder
Staff Writer

If city officials give their blessings, the area’s newest Catholic high school could be calling Schertz home.

The Archdiocese of San Antonio has chosen a 52.3-acre site located at the southeast intersection of FM 482 and Friesenhahn Lane to build the new John Paul II Catholic High School, which is scheduled to open in 2009. The proposed site is located north of Interstate 35 within the Schertz city limits in Comal County, near Comal Elementary School.

Before the archdiocese can proceed with the construction of the projected $25 million, 120,000-square-foot high school, the property must be rezoned from manufacturing to public use by the Schertz City Council. For the rezoning to take effect, it must be passed on two readings by the council.

The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission has recommended that the proposed site be rezoned to accommodate John Paul II.

The council was to have held a public hearing and consider the first reading of the zoning change during its July 22 meeting.

Archdiocese of San Antonio spokesman Pat Rodgers said the archdiocese is waiting to see if the proposed site will be rezoned and ironing out other details before it can break ground for the new school, which will be the ninth Catholic high school in the San Antonio area when it opens.

Rodgers said the proposed site for John Paul II was chosen by a planning committee of members from parishes or parochial schools that would be served by the new Catholic high school, including Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church and School in Selma.

John Paul II would serve as a regional Catholic high school for communities in and around northeastern Bexar County, Schertz, Selma, New Braunfels, Seguin, San Marcos and Canyon Lake.

Rodgers said rapid growth along I-35 is why the archdiocese wants to put a new high school between San Antonio and New Braunfels.

“We believe there is a demand for a Catholic high school in that area,” he said. “We have a combination of people who want the values of a Catholic education and the growth that will put kids in the seats. We are encouraged this will be a successful Catholic high school.”

George Antuna, Schertz Economic Development Corp. executive director, said he contacted archdiocese officials and planning committee members several months ago to get them to look at different sites in Schertz because he believed the city would be a good location for the new high school.

“I saw this as a great opportunity for Schertz to attract a new high school,” Antuna said. “I never hid the fact I wanted them to consider Schertz. Schertz would be a great location for this new regional high school because it would be centrally located between Selma, New Braunfels, Seguin and northeast Bexar County.”

Antuna said landing John Paul II would be “a great quality of life improvement” for city and area residents because it will improve the educational opportunities within Schertz, which is served by both the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City and Comal school districts.

“This will give our regional residents an additional choice for a top-notch education,” he said. “A lot of our residents are commuting to San Antonio to accommodate their children (in Catholic high schools). Hopefully, this will alleviate some of those scenarios where parents are driving long distances to a parochial school to attain a quality education (for their children).”

When construction begins on the new high school, Antuna said it will have a ripple effect on parts of the local economy.

“Once you make a $25 million investment, it will spur further economic development,” Antuna said.

The John Paul II campus will be constructed in phases and will have classrooms, a chapel, labs, administration offices, two gyms, a fine arts building and outdoor athletic facilities for football, baseball, softball, soccer and tennis.

During its first year of operation, the school will serve freshman and sophomore students only, approximately 50 to 75 students. In the long term, John Paul II will have the capacity to serve 500 to 600 students a year in grades 9-12.