School Name

Academy of the Holy Names President Art Raimo announced the public phase of the Academy Ascending capital campaign at the school’s annual Blessed Marie Rose dinner. The dinner traditionally honors donors and the Sisters of the Holy Names, the school’s founding order.

To date, the school has raised $9 million in the silent phase of the campaign. The total goal is $12 million. The remaining funds raised will go towards the completion of the redesign of the main school building, which has been in operation since 1929. Updates will include modernizing the building infrastructure, building an early learning center for students in pre-kindergarten through 1st grade, incorporating STEAM and STEM-focused studios and labs, and creating 21st century learning spaces in both the elementary and high schools. Construction is expected over the next three summers.

In August, the school revealed its 30,000-square-foot middle school building for students in grades 5 through 8. New learning studios replace traditional classrooms and learning commons allow for both group and individual study. Technology includes 26 Epson short throw interactive projectors, 17 50” LED web TVs, 43 Apple TVs, two MakerBot 3D printers (six throughout school), one 3D scanner and 20 Lightspeed Flexmike audio mics for learning studios.

Last spring, the school opened the 40,000-square-foot Bailey Family Center for the Arts. The Center features a 350-seat theatre and a state-of-the-art teaching and learning environment. Within the theatre, there is a control room with an Allen & Heath sound board, and Eos light board, electronic fly system for scenery adjustments and storage, and a state-of-the-art communication system built into the tech booth. In the upper level, there is a spot room for follow spot lights. The facility also includes choral, instrumental, theatre, dance, and 2D and 3D art classrooms, two kiln rooms with 4 kilns total for ceramics classes, a photography dark room, a Maker Lab to enhance STEAM curriculum, an Arts Commons area and gallery space.

Additional campus improvements include the Holy Names Heritage Center, a museum-quality space showcasing the history of the school as well as the Sisters’ of the Holy Names’ impact in Tampa Bay, as well as two tennis courts, two exterior basketball courts, and a parking garage.

Donations of note include:

• Barbara and Anthony Scarpo (Academy Ascending chairs), $1.35 million
• The Bailey Family Foundation, $1 million
• Melanie (A’72) and Richard (B’67) Gonzmart, $1 million
• The Yodzis Family, $500,000
• Kathy and Ray Hyer, $500,000
• Ruth and Fred Lynch, $500,000
• Candace and Michael Valdes (B’77), $500,000