reorganized to include Holy Rosary parish. As a result, enrollment at Marquette Catholic School increased to 266 and two lay teachers and three religious sisters were added to the faculty. The highest enrollment recorded at Marquette Catholic School was 318 students in 1972. A new pitched roof was added to the school during the summer of 1988. A gable was also added to the north doors to enhance the appearance of the front entrance. On December 10, 1996, the Marquette Educational Center (MEC) opened its doors. The gymnasium is part of the Lynch Auditorium, which is named after Fr. Mick Lynch, and includes a stage and four locker rooms. Fr. Mick Lynch, a former principal and a long-time Marquette supporter, along with his father, matched 10% of the money raised by the end of 1998, up to $1,000,000. The new center also features an ICN - Iowa Communications Network room that allows students to attend college accredited courses via video conferencing. The capital campaign, named Commitment to Our Future, raised $900,000 with major support from the community as a whole. Prism, of Keiler, Wisconsin, was the general contractor with help from over fifty students and parents. In 2014 St. Joseph's Catholic Church and Marquette Schools purchased Fifth Street between Franklin and Park streets from the City of Bellevue as part of an expansion project. Construction included the addition of a multipurpose room and "parish center" where Fifth Street once existed, connecting all campus buildings excluding the church. The parish demolished the historic St. Joseph's Middle School building built in 1930 in favor of 45 new parking spaces. The project was completed in 2017. Athletics Marquette Catholic offers baseball, softball, boys cross country, girls cross country, volleyball, boys basketball, girls basketball, boys golf, girls golf, soccer (shared with Easton Valley High School), boys track, and girls track. Marquette students are also able to compete with Wahlert Catholic High School in Dubuque, Iowa in swimming and bowling. Marquette students are also able to compete with Northeast High School in Goose Lake, Iowa in football. Marquette was formerly a member of the Big East Conference. Beginning in the 2013-2014 school year, Marquette Catholic Schools became a member in the newly expanded Tri-Rivers Conference. Notes and references Catholic secondary schools in Iowa Private high schools in Iowa Educational institutions established in 1957 1957 establishments in Iowa Private middle schools in Iowa Private elementary schools