The Campaign for Bishop Kelley Honoring our Legacy Building our Future

By Doug Thomas, Director of Philanthropy

Just over three years into Bishop Kelley’s largest-ever capital campaign and now in the public phase, benefactors have pledged and given $20M toward the school’s $25M goal. That goal is roughly four times larger than the school’s most-recent comprehensive capital campaign, Forever Bishop Kelley, which was launched in 2006 and resulted in a new library, perimeter fencing around the school, and other projects.

We are BK, Honoring our Legacy - Building our Future, is the result of a year-long study and part of the school’s strategic plan; its goal is to enhance student safety, provide indoor and outdoor spaces that promote a stronger student community, add new and larger classrooms, and grow the school’s endowment with the additional annual earnings enabling more families to afford a BK education for their children.

Although it’s not the norm to start construction before 100% of the campaign goal is raised, BK broke ground in January 2022 on a new 26,000 squarefoot, two-story dining hall/student commons that is the centerpiece of the construction component of the campaign. Bishop Kelley moved forward with construction to avoid the rapidly increasing cost of steel. The school also acquired property along Skelly Drive and 41st Street and built a new parking lot and welcoming entrance/lobby to the gyms that will better accommodate the BK community and visitors, keeping guests separate from student spaces during athletic tournaments held on school days.

“We are truly grateful for the gifts that donors have made to support this campaign,” said Sister Mary Hanah Doak, RSM, who serves as BK’s President. “Donations to the campaign have ranged from $100 to well over $1M and we’re truly thankful for each and every gift that’s been made thus far.”

The dining hall was completed on time and blessed by Bishop David Konderla, the Very Reverend Fr. Gary Kastl, and BK’s Chaplain, Fr. Duy Nguyen, on March 10, 2023. The student body, faculty, staff and many of the donors who have supported the capital campaign attended the dedication and blessing. The secure gym entrance is nearly complete and will welcome guests and students at the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year.

Immediately following the dedication of the dining hall, the contractor, Cowen Construction, began demolishing interior walls of the former kitchen and cafeteria to build nine classrooms that are to be finished August 1, 2023. Social studies teachers will move into the new classroom building, allowing theology faculty members to relocate to classrooms in the B Wing by the start of the 2023-24 school year.

The PC Building, where theology classes have been taught since 1982, will be razed in the fall of 2023 and that area will be returned to green space. That building, which is beyond repair, was the original convent for the Sisters of Divine Providence and was occupied by the Sisters from the school’s inception in 1960 until 1981, when the religious order could no longer provide sisters to BK.

As the school continues its efforts to attract new donors to the capital campaign, the design phase is underway for the eventual conversion of the former Commons (original BK library) located in the Brother Bernardine Building. These spaces will be converted into three classrooms and smaller student breakout rooms, and the adjacent office spaces will be reconfigured for faculty, staff, the IT department, and for other needs of the school.

“Some teachers don’t have permanent classrooms as there aren’t enough to accommodate the faculty and a few part-time teachers,” said BK Principal Jim Franz. “We’re striving to build larger classrooms that better facilitate 21st Century learning, allowing for collaborative learning spaces.”

Bishop Kelley offers 192 courses, including 20 Honors classes and 22 Advanced Placement (AP) Courses.

Financial aid applications made through a national company called FACTS show the actual need of families wanting to send children to BK each year is nearly $1.5M, leaving a gap of over $400,000. If the school reaches its campaign goal of adding $4M to the endowment, this should generate $200,000 or more each year for tuition assistance, cutting the gap in half.

The $4M endowment component of the capital campaign is key to allowing more financially challenged families to afford a BK education. Nearly one-fourth of all BK students receive some level of tuition assistance. Ten years ago, the school was able to distribute $500,000 a year in tuition assistance. As the school’s endowment has grown, coupled with support from the two scholarship-granting organizations (Veritas and Go For Catholic Schools) along with the St. Francis of Assisi Endowment Fund, BK is now giving out just over $1M annually in tuition assistance. At the time of this writing, We Are BK donors have allocated $1.4M of their gifts to the endowment to boost the amount of tuition assistance awarded annually.

“Bishop Kelley, like all tuition-paying high schools, has a difficult balance to meet wherein we have strong programming and competitive salaries but don’t have tuition costs that grow in such a way that only certain families can come to BK,” said Sister Mary Hanah. “It has been important to the school’s identity from its beginning with the Christian Brothers that it serves a broad range of families. For that reason, this campaign not only emphasizes growing our spaces but also growing the endowment for tuition assistance.”

Gifts to any existing or new endowment fund that supports tuition assistance count toward the endowment goal. BK endowments can be found on the school’s website at https://www.bishopkelley.org/ giving or scan the QR code below.

Donors interested in touring the new facilities and learning more about the current and planned construction projects or the endowment component are invited to contact BK Director of Philanthropy, Doug Thomas at, dthomas@bishopkelley.org, or call 918.609.7115. You can also find more information on the BK website at bishopkelley.org.

By hayden hecKenKemper ’23

It’s safe to say that at Bishop Kelley, learning doesn’t stop in the classroom. From worldwide travel, athletic endeavors, service opportunities, and further classroom growth, Bishop Kelley students spend the summer months in many ways — via school and personal experiences. Comets actively seek enriching opportunities this summer, improving their global view, community outlook, and new skill sets.

Bishop Kelley to Europe. Kalina and a group of BK students representing each grade will travel through France, Spain, and Italy for twelve days, aligning with Bishop Kelley’s French, Spanish, and Latin language programs. “I’ve heard Europe is beautiful, so I’m looking forward to seeing it first-hand,” said Kalina, who’s taken French classes all three years of her high school career. So naturally, she’s most excited about visiting France. “I’m excited to be able to practice speaking French because I’ve been taking it since middle school but haven’t had the chance to use it,” she says.

For Junior Kalina Williams, this summer poses an entirely new experience as she travels with

Among other historic destinations the group will visit during her first time in Europe, Kalina’s excited to see the Vatican, Eiffel Tower, and Pompeii. Trips abroad are a long-standing tradition at Bishop Kelley. Last year, students and chaperons, led by Chaplain Father Duy, spent their Spring Break on a pilgrimage in Rome, Italy, and the BK chapter of the National Honor Society had plans to travel on a service trip to Peru for this year’s Spring Break. (It was reluctantly canceled due to political unrest in the country.) One thing’s for sure, though: this summer will have Comets saying Bonjour, Hola, and Ciao on their trips to remember.

Each break during the school year, some students use their time to serve communities in need through mission trips via the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma or other places across the area. Senior Owen Zellers will be one in a group of people to participate in Christ the King’s mission trip this summer. With this being his second time participating in a mission trip, Owen is excited to be headed to Caldwell, Texas. Not only do mission trips help the communities they serve, but according to Owen, they also lead to immense personal growth. “Mission trips are a great way to help our communities.” Owen encourages everyone to try and find a way to attend one, saying, “It was an eye-opener for me, and it helped my faith grow in unique ways.” While he expects the same level of personal growth as his first mission trip, he’s enthusiastic about changes that might be brought on by Christ the King’s new youth minister, who is organizing his first mission trip for the group.

Just like during the school year, athletics never ends. While it might be exciting to shout on the sidelines, it’s more impressive to take your sports career to the next level: signing with a Division 1 program. This is the reality for senior Will Applegate, who will play soccer with the University of Tulsa beginning with the 2023-24 school year. The preparation starts this summer, though, as Will moves onto TU’s campus early to start his soccer career with the Golden Hurricane. Will committed to TU during his junior year and signed with them this past November. “I expect there to be a lot of conditioning and training this summer,” Will says. When asked what he’s most excited about, it’s the different people he’ll encounter. “I’m most excited to meet many new people from different countries worldwide.” The decision to commit and train with the University of Tulsa wasn’t tough. “I love to play soccer, and continuing this passion just makes sense,” summed up Will, whose experience mirrors many of his BK student-athlete classmates. Like Will, Comet athletes from all sports find a way to work on their craft throughout the summer with opportunities like football and lacrosse camps, dance workshops, and volleyball tournaments.

To some, summer means growth. To some, it means adventure. To many, the prospect of having nearly three months off of school allows them to pursue opportunities impossible to enjoy during the busy school year. Travel, athletics, volunteering, and art will all make for a summer worth remembering.