Building & Project History

Construction on the Sacred Heart School in Templeton began in 1963 and was first opened for classes in the fall of 1964. The cost of the building and furnishings was approximately $260,000, and the building replaced the old high school that was built in the 1880's. In the late 1960's and early 1970's, Sacred Heart combined with St. Augustine Parish in Halbur and Holy Angels in Roselle to form the H-T-R, and later Holy Trinity, school system. Classes were held in the schools in Halbur and Templeton until 2003, at which time all parochial grade schools in Carroll County were merged into the Kuemper Catholic School System in Carroll.

The school in Templeton unofficially served as a community center since it opened, and over the years many community functions were held inside and on the surrounding grounds. After the school closed in 2003, conversations began about the future of the school building. Ownership by Sacred Heart Church would limit improvements made to the building due to control by the Sioux City Diocese. Many repairs and upgrades were needed, and no one wanted to see a boarded-up, dilapidated old school building in such a progressive and neat community. To address these concerns, a committee was formed in 2011 to discuss options, and the main goals were to evaluate possibilities for a true community center in Templeton. After months of discussion and analysis, a plan was developed to completely renovate the school into a true community center. The school, while needing repair and upgrades, had many advantages including a large, well-built structure, desirable layout and features, a large parking lot, and access to church for funerals, weddings, etc.

The committee worked with Clark Snyder from Simonson Associates Architects in Des Moines to develop an exciting plan to transform the building into a vibrant, modern multi-purpose community center. After a multi-year fundraising and construction effort, the new facility opened in August 2014. Today, the building is a center of activity in the community hosting multiple events each week throughout the year.