The vision for a reimagined Upper School has been shaped, from the very beginning, by the voices of this community. We want to share the progress we have made together and how we are preparing for what comes next.
Many of you helped imagine and refine the vision over the past two years, contributing through surveys, gatherings, and the dedicated work of a steering committee of students, staff, and trustees. Working with our architectural partners at w/Architecture, we completed the design development phase for our proposed new Upper School facilities, guided throughout by our educational priorities and Quaker values. We are grateful to all who took part. We look forward to sharing these designs widely as part of our capital campaign planning and implementation.
This past year, we sought the community’s input once more, partnering with consultants from Capital Development Services on a feasibility study to gauge our readiness for a campaign of this scale. The study confirmed broad and genuine support for a new Upper School, along with the importance of the vision behind it. It also made several recommendations that, given the magnitude of this effort, will substantially improve our campaign readiness and confidence in the success of this campaign.
In response, after careful discernment, the Board of Trustees has begun a pre-campaign readiness phase, focused on building the staffing, infrastructure, and donor relationships a successful campaign requires. We have welcomed Deb Feinberg as our new director of advancement, and are growing her team and strengthening our annual giving. Important groundwork is in place as well: a recently completed rezoning gives us greater flexibility to plan for the School’s future.
This readiness work will allow us to transition into a formal capital campaign with confidence. Targeted work will continue through this year, and the Board will conduct an assessment at the end of the 2026-2027 school year to update the project timeline.
Above all, we are committed to stewarding this process responsibly, ensuring we are well prepared for the campaign ahead and that our facilities support our teachers and enrich our students’ learning, now and in the future. As we reach the milestones we have set, we will keep you informed and continue to call on your support.
In peace,
Tabitha Blackwell and Rebecca Palmer,
Board of Trustees Co-Clerks