Q: Why is GRACE looking to move our campuses?
A: For years, we have heard from members of our school community the desire to be on one campus in order to unify our student body, provide more opportunities for cross-school collaboration and have our facilities reflect the “community” feel that we are known for. We have maximized every square inch of our current facilities and are limited in how to further expand to offer features our current families have expressed interest in – science laboratories, a greenhouse, another gymnasium, improved outdoor athletic facilities, enhanced fine arts spaces, and more.
Beyond that, our current location limits our ability to grow our student body. We continue to see increased enrollment year over year, and are having to turn away families. Each student turned away is a missed opportunity to share our mission. On the business side, with the recent (November 2021) purchase of South Hills Mall by an investor, our property has seen a significant increase in value by prospective buyers. All combined, it makes sense that we are actively evaluating all our options.
Q: When did this process begin – and where are we in the process today?
A: School leadership has always prayed for wisdom, discernment and God’s direction in all decisions being made for our school – including potential opportunities for growing and expanding the school. As we have utilized every inch of our Upper and Lower Campus for years and recognized this was an area we needed to explore in more detail, the board formed a strategic vision task force, composed of board members and other members of our school community who have insight or expertise that would be beneficial in evaluating our options. This task force is currently in the process of developing a list of what we would need in a future campus, and assessing potential land opportunities as they arise.
Q: Who is on the strategic vision task force and why were they selected?
A: We are blessed to have many talented and committed members of the GCS community. Those selected to serve on this task force have a passion for the school and its continued success, as well as having professional backgrounds in areas such as strategic planning, real estate, and finance. The strategic vision task force includes: Moss Withers, Matt Winters, Alicia Knight, Stacy Green, Nathan Ennis, Alex Sossaman, Karen O’Conner, Ryan Armstrong, Mark Hensley, and Eric Bradley.
Q: Are there any parameters we have set for a new location?
A: We are actively searching for potential properties that 1) are relatively close in proximity to our current campuses, 2) have easy access to a major interstate and 3) provide enough land to accommodate our facility needs.
Q: How much money is this going to cost?
A: Our plan is to secure land and build without significantly impacting tuition costs. Our intent is to leverage the sale of our current properties and pursue a capital campaign to raise additional funds that will serve GRACE Christian School well into the future.
Q: What is the timeline?
A: Once we secure a property that fits our needs, we will regroup and determine the best, most effective way to build a new campus that minimizes disruption for our school community. We anticipate a three to five year timeline after land is secured before the school would relocate – however that is going to be highly dependent on the financial support of the school community. This is our GRACE, and we know it will be a community effort to get us to the end-point.
Q: I still have questions - who can I speak with for more information?
A: We will provide plenty of opportunities for our families to weigh in on this discussion. You are welcome to reach out to our Head of School, Eric Bradley, at [email protected]. We will also be holding three info sessions with Mr. Bradley and select members of our strategic vision task force to discuss this information and gather your feedback. Sign up to attend an info session here.