Major reconstruction was completed on the second and third floor girls and boys bathrooms and the exterior doors over the summer, and the improvements are still coming.

  According to Mr. Paul Mullaney, school president, the resurfacing of the fieldhouse track and the construction of a 21st-century media center is on the plate for the upcoming year.

  Funding for the upcoming projects comes from a variety of sources.

  “Some were paid by capital improvement money we receive annually from the Diocese of Gary, specifically for facilities; some by donations from generous alumni; and some from money previously set aside specifically for facility improvements,” Mullaney said.

  The improvements that were completed for this school year were selected as priority due to the condition of the bathrooms and the much-needed renovations of the exterior doors, which had last been replaced in 1962. The library–the future home of the 21st-century media center, is currently being repurposed until the construction is complete. The unused conference rooms and storage area is being reconstructed to include the president’s office, a conference room and a museum to help celebrate Noll’s 94th anniversary.

  “[The conference room] is available for meetings held by administration, faculty, coaches, student groups, our school board and other stakeholders who need a nice meeting space and the ability to project presentations from a laptop for the whole group to see,” Mullaney said.

  The improvements that have been made thus far are all part of the school’s main goal to keep top notch Catholic education for future generations.

  “In 2021, we will be celebrating 100 years as Lake County’s premiere Catholic high school. We want our current students to be able to send their children and, ultimately, their grandchildren to BNI to take advantage of the Noll experience and the foundation it provides as students move on in life,” Mullaney said. “We want families to know their children will be in a clean and safe environment for school, and we see these improvements as a signal for more to follow as we attempt to keep a 52-year-old facility as modern and current as possible.”

 Currently, a strategic plan is in place that involves raising enough money to continue significant improvements. The school’s goal is to complete all improvements by 2021, the school’s 100th anniversary.