Remsen St. Mary’s Schools

THE CHALLENGE

For nearly 140 years, Remsen St. Mary’s Schools has been a pillar of faith-based education in northwest Iowa. Generations of families have passed through its classrooms, where learning is grounded in Catholic tradition and service. Yet after decades of growth, the school has reached a turning point. Operating two campuses has led to inefficiencies, with staff and students split between buildings and resources stretched thin. This separation disrupts the sense of unity that defines St. Mary’s and limits the full potential of its educational model. Leadership, supported by strong community input, recognized the need to come together in faith and purpose to prepare for a stronger, more connected future.

THE VISION

By focusing on campus unification and modernization, school leadership ensured that Remsen St. Mary’s continues to serve families for generations to come. Goals for the effort include:

• Relocate grade school to a single campus, including constructing six modern classrooms in a new addition to add approximately 26,000 square feet of new and remodeled space
• Improve building safety across the unified campus.
• Renovate and move the library, add a creative arts classroom, develop shared spaces for collaborative learning and create additional learning environments and a modern computer lab in current space.
• Preserve and upgrade school infrastructure by installing an elevator for full accessibility, improving drop-off and pick-up traffic flow, creating a new gym overlook and multipurpose space, renovating the main entrance and cafeteria access and adding an administrative wing, admissions office, and teacher workroom.

THE SOLUTION

With unity as its foundation, the We Believe … Our Faith, Our Family, Our Future Capital Campaign encouraged Remsen St. Mary’s to remain a vibrant center of Catholic education. Partnering with the Steier Group provided the structure and expertise needed to bring this vision to life. A full-time, onsite campaign manager guided day-to-day efforts and maintained momentum. The Steier Group’s in-house design team crafted professional campaign materials, while their grant writers and data analysts helped target outreach and secure broader support. Together, the school and its partners built a campaign that honors tradition, strengthens community, and makes a lasting investment in the future of Catholic education in Remsen.