BY EARNEST WINSTON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
ERLANGER - Senior Anne Schmidt vividly remembers her frustration as she sat inside crowded classrooms at the old St. Henry High School in Elsmere.
But the 17-year-old hit a high note Sunday. She was among dozens of students who sang during a dedication ceremony for the new St. Henry District High School.
An estimated 1,500 people attended Sunday's dedication and open house.
"I think it's neat we finally get a new school because our old one was really bad. It was really crowded," Anne said. "In this one, we actually have our own gym."
The $5.6 million facility is the first Roman Catholic high school ever in Boone County, and the first built by the Diocese of Covington in 40 years.
The school enrolls about 470 students from seven feeder parishes, but has room for 600.
"The enthusiasm here speaks for itself. The place is just bursting with energy and spirit from people of the past who went to the former campus of St. Henry to this campus," said Bishop Robert Muench, who presided over Sunday's blessing ceremony.
"It's a very exciting day for the school and for our diocese because it promises continuing growth of our school."
The school features a "Bricks of Success" wall, which carries 932 engraved bricks bought by alumni and friends. Each came with a pledge of at least $500.
"It confirms everything that we thought from the beginning - that if we went ahead with the project then everybody would get behind it and support it," Principal David Otte said. "It just confirms the fact that we knew the support was out there.
"We had two campaigns to raise the money to build this school, and not only did it include the gift of money, but it also included the gifts of services that were provided for us."
Mr. Otte said he expects enrollment to jump to 500 for the 1999-2000 year.
"It was either building a new high school or we were going to have to start turning students away. We now have the space that we need," said Mr. Otte, principal for nine years and a 1970 St. Henry graduate.
"My whole family is from here. It has a lot of special meaning." The one-story, 71,300-square-foot building on Donaldson Road opened for students in September, about a year after the project began.
"I think this is great. There's so much room," said Stephanie Olguin, 22, a 1994 graduate whose sister, Suzanne, graduated in 1997.
"It's going to improve a lot on the quality of the students because of the technology advances and the space that they have to grow in."
