St. Charles School faces another set-back, community works together
St Charles Church and School on Aug. 25, 2022. (Inland Catholic Photo/Grant Whitty)
It has been about a year and a half since a Spokane Valley man committed arson at St. Charles school in March of 2021. Since then, the parish and school community have begun rebuilding and remodeling the school. Progress on the building has been steady but slower than expected due to labor shortages across the country. The school's interior is looking familiar again and students have been eager to return to the St. Charles campus for studies this fall.
However, as contractors continued to work on repairing the fire damage, heating and electrical problems were also discovered. The heating system has since been determined non-functional. With supply chain shortages, it will take some time to get a new heating solution ordered and installed before the chill of winter descends on Spokane. With this heavy news, the St. Charles community had to move quickly to find a solution for the fast-approaching academic year.
At Sunday Mass on Aug. 7, Fr. Esteban Soler, pastor of St. Charles, announced the news of the heater and the plan moving forward to the congregation. He referenced the letter he sent to the community a few days earlier:
“Given this situation, we find ourselves in, the most feasible option is for us to move the school to another facility for the entirety of the school year,” Fr. Soler said. “Many of our families are familiar with the Old Jefferson building on the South Hill that we occupied immediately following the fire, and we have been graciously offered the rental of this building again for the 2022-2023 school year.”
After Mass, Fr. Soler hosted a Q&A meeting in the half-remodeled school gymnasium. Parishioners, parents, and children gathered in foldable chairs to discuss the situation. The move to South Hill became challenging for some parents due to the distance. School buses will take the students from St. Charles to the remote location, which results in dropping off the children earlier in the morning. Quickly parents and community members began organizing carpooling solutions to help other parents get their children to school.
The first day of school is just around the corner, and this community continues to move forward amidst challenges. Through the grace of God, the St. Charles community perseveres yet again, rising above their many obstacles to provide for their students.
