Campaigns > Bridge to the Future
Bridge to the Future
The Capital Campaign for a New School
"We cannot accomplish this enormous undertaking without the active involvement of every person who has been connected with these schools. We cannot do this without you. We therefore ask for your time, energy, and financial support." - Janet Ashby, Administrator
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Stone Road Site Plan
Stone Road Floor Plan
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Montessori and the Environment
Montessori offers more than just the acquisition of intellectual skills; it is a preparation for life. The child's experience of growth is based upon experiences and activities within the indoor and outdoor environment. During the middle school years, the land is the prepared learning environment. In fact, Montessori's model for early adolescence is known as "Erdkinder," German for "children of the land." She believed that "The natural world reflects life in its fullness and mystery and wonder. It teaches."
The Stone Road property offers a myriad of opportunities for students to learn from the land – and become caretakers or stewards of nature:
- An urban stream dissects the property and offers lessons in stream ecology and renewal – conservation of natural resources at its best. Water sources can be identified and tested.
- The wooded area can be mapped to identify local plant and animal species. Soil can be sampled and tested.
- The garden area can be cultivated to produce marketable goods and meaningful work in the form of economic activity.
- Sheds, bridges, and fences can be designed and built by the students to service the land and realize practical application of mathematics, physics and chemistry.
- A century-old home offers an accessible place for both enterprise and service to the community – such as a bed and breakfast – fully operated by the students and stocked with their own produce from their garden.
- The history of the land can be documented through archival research and interviews. Poems, articles and narratives can recreate the lives and stories of previous generations. Photographs, drawings, journals and paintings of the land preserve memories of today – the history of tomorrow.
Maria Montessori believed in an educational strategy that fully acquaints students with all aspects of their land, an interdisciplinary study that explores the fertile ground where science, history, literature, and art coalesce in the web of stories that define a particular community. Immersion in the local landscape and cultural history fosters bioregional sensitivity. Environmental and ethical responsibility arises naturally among students.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the objective of the Capital Campaign?
How will we raise the funds required?
What are the building priorities if we don't raise enough money?
Why should I commit? My children may not or will not attend the new school.
Will the new school accommodate more students and classrooms?
Will tuition increase substantially to offset building costs?
Why do we need a new facility?
Why should MMSK be included in this new campus?
What's going to happen when Mrs. Ashby retires?
What is the objective of the Capital Campaign?
The objective of the Capital Campaign is to raise $5.5 million toward a $7.5 million, 40,000 square-foot facility that will accommodate our three primary classes, two lower elementary classes, two upper elementary classes, and the middle school program in one or two buildings on the same campus. The school is capable of servicing up to a $1 million mortgage, and the proceeds of the sale of CMS's Crestwood Drive property would eventually reduce the campaign objective.
How will we raise the funds required?
The Capital Campaign will be funded mainly through individual donations and pledges from current and past CMS and MMSK families. Foundations and corporations will also be approached for their support.
What are the building priorities if we don't raise enough money?
We are confident that the families of CMS and MMSK will be willing to sacrifice in order to ensure the future of the school. However, in the event that we fall short of the goal, the priorities would be to build:
- CMS primary, lower and upper elementary classrooms and shared spaces
- MMSK classrooms and labs
- A full-sized gymnasium and stage
Why should I commit? My children may not or will not attend the new school.
CMS has a rich tradition of planning for future needs and has greatly benefited from the time, skills, and sacrifices of past parents. This dedication is evident in the Design for the Future (DFF) committee, whose members have spent the last four years planning and executing the vision for CMS and MMSK. Many of the DFF committee members' children will not benefit from the new facility, including the chair and vice-chair and multiple members who will give hundreds of hours of time to support the future of CMS and MMSK.
In addition, CMS and MMSK are and will remain an important asset to the Lexington community. As former students progress through life, they increasingly attribute many of their successes to the foundation they received at CMS and MMSK. Parents and teachers also praise the schools for their emphasis on service, which propels alumni to give back to their communities and prepares them to be excellent citizens.
Will the new school accommodate more students and classrooms?
No. Expanded enrollment is not a goal of this campaign. CMS and MMSK will continue to maintain enrollment of approximately 225 to 250 students to ensure the close-knit relationship between students, teachers and staff. As Mrs. Ashby has said, "There are only so many children you can hold in your heart at one time."
The Board explored the possibility of expanding and enhancing the existing facility at the present location. CMS may not make any additions to the existing Crestwood building, such as a covered walkway, expanded classrooms, a second floor and adjacent buildings, without bringing the entire campus up to current code restrictions and incurring renewed resistance from neighbors. CMS cannot build up or out. (Since CMS currently is in a flood plain, it cannot build in the back part of the gym because it is a holding basin.) Also, the Crestwood property cannot accommodate MMSK. Attempts to acquire surrounding properties were unsuccessful.
Will tuition increase substantially to offset building costs?
No. Tuition increases are not a source of funding for the new facility. Building will not begin until sufficient funds have been raised.
Why do we need a new facility?
The cost to upgrade/repair the 30-year-old Crestwood Drive facility exceeds the return on investment in terms of usable years. The present facility is a pole structure with no foundation built on a flood plain and on a shoestring budget. Over the years, parent volunteers and staff have contributed to the care and maintenance of the building through recurring floods. Expenditures were judiciously applied to extend the life of the building without increasing tuition substantially, but that is increasingly difficult.
Why should MMSK be included in this new campus?
MMSK is currently housed in leased space on the second floor of a church in an urban setting. Consolidating the two programs on the same campus will allow the school to save money on lease payments and duplicated services, thereby helping to maintain moderate tuition levels. The planned facility would provide for land and outdoor enhancements that are important components of Montessori's middle school experience as well as a science lab and art room.
What's going to happen when Mrs. Ashby retires?
Mrs. Ashby does plan to retire one day, but not in the next few years. In anticipation of her eventual retirement, an Executive Board was initiated to ensure continued administrative and cultural stability. The Executive Board consists of five permanent members who have been carefully chosen and represent a long-term interest and understanding of the philosophies of CMS. The Board will continue to provide appropriate long-term and short-term governance of CMS even during a transition in the administrator. After Mrs. Ashby retires, she will assume one of the Executive Board positions.
In addition, Mrs. Ashby plans to give the Board at least two years notice prior to her retirement. At that time, considerations will be given to internal and nationwide searches for her replacement. It is the intent to have the new administrator work with Mrs. Ashby for a year prior to her retirement.
Page Update: August 19, 2006