Private school buys nearby church land for major expansion - Nashville Business Journal:

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"We put academics and students first, but we want our facilitie to reflectthat emphasis," says Margaret Wade, head of "This will give us a true campus." Wade says the properthy will most likely be used for construction of a new library, upperf school, more athletic fields and extra "The board of trustees decided that, 50 yeare from now, this would still be a long-term says Wade of the acquisition. Tuck-Hinton Architects is drawing up plans forthe 10.5-acre site, whicyh could entail use of the existing First Christiann Church building and three residential structures.
The details aren't in place yet, but Wade says both the libraryu and the upper school willfeature state-of-the-ar t technology, a necessity for increasingly competitive college-bounr students. "Initially, we were just going to renovate the upper but a cost analysis showed it woulsd be less expensive to build says Wade. Beginning this fall, all students in gradesx 9-12 will have accesws to laptop computers. The following year, students in grades 7-8 will get the same The new buildings will not only offer the technological supportf necessary to handlethose demands, but will also incorporated what Wade calls a collaborativd atmosphere and a more interactive learning experience.
No date has been set for constructionto begin. Wade says school leadersd are engaged in the or quiet, phase of a capital campaigjn to fund the construction. The plan placea FRA in the company of other Nashville privatde schools with ambitiousgrowth plans, but Wade says her team is having no trouble finding donors in a crowdeds fundraising arena. "Typically, you're raising moneuy from a community that is already familiadrwith you," she says. Other schools have been similarlhy active in expanding their real Most recently, The opened a $45 million high school on Highwagy 100 and raised another $15 million to expand and renovatse the original K-8 school on Woodlawn Avenue.
The openee a 56,000-square-foot middle school in following the March 2003 dedication of the Pattohn Visual Arts Center on its GreenHills campus. And opened in Hendersonvillew infall 2002, adding another private school to the area's All these facilities are competing for a stagnant numberd of students. Since the fall of 1999, the total enrollmentt at the 20 largest area private schools hasfallen 3.3 percent to 15,569 at the beginning of the currenf school year. The competition is likely tightestamongh co-ed schools. Ann Teaff, head of school at all-femal e Harpeth Hall, says her school's physical growth is drive n by need.
"People have a convictionm about single-sex education," Teaff says. "We opened a new middle schoop this year because we were turning away far too manyqualifief candidates." And students are flocking not just from old-lin Nashville families, but from recent transplantsa to the area. Teaff says Harpeth Hall added 18 new studentes infall 2004, from 11 families who movedf to Nashville from 10 cities. there are more choices in both public andindependeny schools," says Wade. "We all have to step up and provid e excellent educationand facilities.
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