St. Thomas More Academy gifted new location

By Elizabeth Skalski
eskalski@catholicreview.org

 
St. Thomas More Academy in Buckeystown will relocate a stone’s throw from its current location to a property gifted from its current owner.

 
The school announced March 16 that it’s moving less than a mile down the road to the site of Alexander’s, formerly known as the Catoctin Inn and Conference Center in Buckeystown. Alexander’s serves as a restaurant and the property is owned by Sandy Lankler.

Renovations and improvements are scheduled to begin shortly. St. Thomas More Academy plans to begin the 2012-2013 school year in August at the Alexander’s property.

The announcement comes three months after St. John’s Catholic Prep high school in Frederick announced it will be moving to the campus of St. Thomas More Academy for the 2012-2013 school year.

St. Thomas More Academy, which serves pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, did not have a new school building lined up when it announced the deal in December.

In a March 6 interview with the Catholic Review, Margaret Lyburn, the school’s principal, did not name the new property but said she was “just thrilled” about the school’s new location and said it is “peaceful” and “gentle.”
Lyburn said the school’s relocation committee evaluated 15 commercial properties for sale but liked this property best.
 
“I feel like God’s led us to this great campus on Buckeystown Pike,” Lyburn said.

Ajay R. Patil, president of the St. Thomas More Academy board of directors, said in a statement that “there is no doubt in my mind that the Holy Spirit guided us to Alexander’s.”

“Mr. Lankler’s generosity to St. Thomas More Academy is simply unprecedented and came at the perfect time for our school,” Patil said.

In its current building, St. Thomas More Academy, which has about 100 students, has more room than it could handle.

The current St. Thomas More Academy building will be modified and expanded to accommodate St. John’s Catholic Prep’s 400 high school students initially and will eventually expand to serve 500.