Cardinal Newman High School, burned in Tubbs Fire, gets $11M matching gift for rebuild

A Santa Rosa-based Catholic High School damaged in the 2017 wildfires has received an $11 million pledge, part of a $38 million campaign to raise money for new classrooms and other facilities.

On Tuesday, Cardinal Newman High School officials stated the school has already received $22 million in commitments toward its goal. With that available, it stated the school plans to begin a $19 million project to build a two-story classroom building.

'We haven't finished the race, but we have made significant progress towards our goal,' school President Laura Held said in the announcement.

The college preparatory high school plans to submit plans for the new classrooms to Permit Sonoma this fall, break ground on the new construction in the spring and complete the work in time for the 2021-2022 school year.

Damage from the Tubbs fire was placed at about $15 million. Students moved back into some replacement classrooms in August.

Among the pledges received thus far, the school said, included an anonymous $5 million pledge. That same donor has pledged an $11 million gift which officials said would be used for a new school student union. The school said contribution is a 'challenge gift' — one that requires fundraising to come up with the additional $5 million to reach the union's $16 million price tag by June, 2021.

'These gifts represent the largest gifts ever received in the history of Cardinal Newman High School,' the announcement stated.

In addition to the classrooms and student union, other parts of the $38 million campaign will be targeted toward construction of library, media center, counseling offices, cafeteria, and outdoor gathering and teaching areas.