A new, 13,000-square-foot early childhood learning center will rise on the campus of St. Adalbert School in Cleveland?s Fairfax neighborhood. A groundbreaking ceremony took place on Sept. 14.
The $5 million Clete Jeckering Early Childhood Learning Center will be a state-of the-art facility with nine classrooms, a cafeteria dedicated for the younger students and an outdoor play area with green space. Children from pre-kindergarten through second grade will be educated in the new building. It is part of a $7 million campaign, ?The Power of One,? that was spearheaded by a contribution from the Jeckering family, longtime supporters of St. Adalbert School.
?This is my first groundbreaking,? said Father Gary Chmura, St. Adalbert Parish pastor. He offered thanks to the Jeckering family, the diocese and other partners of the school for making the project a reality.
?We wanted to get the actual groundbreaking done so we could get the concrete poured soon,? said Tom Jeckering. He thanked his wife, Virginia, and son, Scott, for their support of the project, as well as Bishop Nelson Perez. ?Once you get the bishop?s support, things get done,? he added.
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Jeckering also credited Father Chmura and Jim Smith, St. Adalbert principal, for their support.
?It took lots of puzzle pieces to make this happen,? he said, noting that his son has been working for more than two years to secure and clear the property, which is adjacent to the school and church. St. Adalbert School is at 2345 E. 83rd St., Cleveland.
?It?s great to have parish support behind the school,? Jeckering said. He also credited a supportive relationship with Urban Community and Metro Catholic schools on Cleveland?s West Side and their administrators for helping St. Adalbert with its mission to provide a quality education in the city.
There are more than 400 students at St. Adalbert and the new early childhood learning center will give the school enough space to grow. Once the new building is complete, capacity will be 550 students.
?It?s not the building,? Jeckering said. ?I hope the students continue to grow, learn, be prosperous and make a contribution. ?Pray for wisdom,? he said to the students at the groundbreaking ceremony.
Smith said when he arrived at St. Adalbert?s eight years ago, ?I wanted to do it right. This is not about me. It?s about the kids, the teachers, the staff, the secretaries and those in the building feeding the kids who are watching the live stream of this,? he said. He credited the teachers and staff members who arrive early, stay late and work weekends for the successes at St. Adalbert. ?It?s about the kids. It?s about the people who want to be here,? he said. ?When we get things right it?s because of caring people who want to get it right.?
Smith said St. Adalbert of Prague, after whom the parish is named, ?also was someone who wanted to get it right. We love doing this. We love serving the Lord. If it wasn?t for us doing this, we would have closed 10 years ago.?
Laveta Parker, executive assistant to Cleveland Ward 6 Councilman Blaine Griffin, who was unable to attend the ceremony, presented a proclamation to Father Chmura and Smith congratulating St. Adalbert on its successes and for the new structure.
?Behold how pleasant it is for brethren to live together in unity,? Parker said, quoting Psalm 131.
Smith thanked Parker and noted that ?It takes a village to raise a child. We have many groups helping us,? he said. He encouraged others to join in the cause. ?We want to be more involved in the community,? he added.
Father Chmura offered a prayer before the actual groundbreaking, which included representatives of the Jeckering family, Father Chmura, Smith and a St. Adalbert student.
St. Adalbert School was established as a parish school in 1890 to serve the Bohemian community in Cleveland?s Fairfax neighborhood. The Sisters of Notre Dame operated the school for 56 years until changing demographics forced its closure in 1946.
By 1961, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish, which was located nearby on East 79th Street and was the first and only African-American Catholic parish in the diocese, had outgrown its church and school building. Blessed Sacrament merged with St. Adalbert with the understanding that the Blessed Sacrament parishioners would build a new school adjacent to the church. The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, under the direction of St. Katherine Drexel, their founder, had been serving Blessed Sacrament School since 1924 and agreed to continue serving the predominately African-American student population at the new site.
St. Adalbert School reopened the new facility in 1962 and now serves students from across Cuyahoga County. Many current students are legacies
