New South Bend high school being prepared for upcoming fall

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – A new high school is under construction for an expected August opening in South Bend.

On Saturday, volunteers came together to clean up the space that will become Montessori High School.

“I am excited for this school to be ready, I am really ready for it to start because everything Good Shepherd has done has been preparing for high school and beyond. It’s been giving me the skills I need to succeed,” said Ian Oglesbee, Montessori student.

The co-founder of the school, Eileen Mariani, has been working since 2012 to obtain the funding to bring the first Montessori high school to South Bend.

Founders say they want students going into high school to have the option of having a student lead mastery-based education that the Montessori schools offer.

Many students lent a hand on Saturday to remodel and prepare classrooms inside of the First Presbyterian Church on Colfax Avenue.

“We have leased some space at the First Presbyterian Church in their educational wing. We have 3 classrooms and an office and so today we are working on pulling up carpet tearing up tile cleaning off the walls it was a preschool and now we’re transforming it into a high school,” Mariani said.

The school plans to welcome 18 highschoolers in the fall to test the first year and make plans for 2021.