CHARLOTTE — Holy Trinity Middle School has received a $1,000,229 grant from Shea Homes for upgrades to its athletic field and fine arts classrooms.
The existing athletic field will be regraded, a drainage system added and then topped with synthetic turf, new lighting, team benches and markings.
The fine arts classroom upgrades include upfitting the current chorus, art and band rooms and hallways with modernized flooring, lighting and instructional equipment.
Holy Trinity and the diocese will be responsible for the remaining $572,000 of the $1,572,229 cost of the project, which is slated to be completed this summer.
“We are overwhelmed by the continued support from the Shea family and appreciate their commitment to Catholic education,” the school’s President Kevin Parks said. “As the second largest school in the diocese, we are excited for these upgrades and renovations that will help better educate our students for upcoming generations as well as today.”
The facility upgrade is one piece of a larger $11.5 million three-phase, multi-year enhancement project focused on readying the school to launch a blended learning model to better serve its growing student body of 1,038.
The new learning model is expected to be unveiled for the 2026-2027 academic year, when the school is set to be renamed “Holy Trinity Catholic Academy” to reflect its continued commitment to an inclusive, faith-based learning environment.
Phase I, completed in August 2025 for $3 million, remodeled an outdated 1950s administrative building, creating innovative spaces for science labs, modern faculty offices and conference areas and added a classroom dedicated to theology studies.
“After seeing the benefits of the administrative building this past summer, our community is very excited for these enhanced learning spaces,” Parks said.
This past April, the Bulldogs broke ground for Phase II, the $7 million Begley building renovation and expansion that is anticipated to be completed this summer.
Existing classrooms and restrooms will be remodeled, eight classrooms will be added in a new second floor above the library and hallways will all connect to an upgraded internal stairway for improved access.
Shea Homes is one of the most significant philanthropic supporters of Catholic education across the country, assisting more than 1,000 Catholic schools with grants providing for renovations, new construction and expansion projects.
Over the past 30 years, the charity has granted an estimated $12.2 million toward school projects in the diocese, assisting Holy Trinity Middle, St. Ann and Our Lady of the Assumption schools in Charlotte, Immaculata in Hendersonville, St. Michael the Archangel in Gastonia, Our Lady of Grace in Greensboro, Our Lady of Mercy in Winston-Salem, and Sacred Heart in Salisbury.
“This extraordinary gift will allow Holy Trinity to address needs that impact students’ educations,” said Jim Kelley, diocesan director of development. “We are so grateful to John Shea Jr. and his family for the transformational partnership we have with Shea Homes.”
Though the grant was a major stepping stone, a future Phase IV will require additional funding. It includes new landscaped walking paths, a cafeteria and outdoor dining upgrade, and upgraded stage fixtures for the school’s performing arts program. Along with structural changes, curriculum and leadership goals have shifted, adding three theology teachers and a dean of student life.
This past year, the school also moved to a president-principal leadership model that saw former principal Parks taking on the role of president.
The new curriculum will use a co-divisional approach, with single-sex (all-girl or all-boy) core classes and co-ed electives. While currently being used for theology and social studies classes, this instructional method will be phased in over the next three years, being fully implemented in the 2026-2027 academic year for the sixth grade, the seventh grade the following year, and the eighth-grade level during the 2028-2029 year.
— Lisa M. Geraci