grounded in growth
a campaign for Benchmark School
Now in its final phase, the Grounded in Growth campaign will revitalize our campus and bolster our foundation for the future.
This is the culmination of the most ambitious capital campaign in the history of Benchmark School.
help us to grow the future—from the ground up.
We can’t propel students forward without moving forward ourselves. In order for us to bring Benchmark into the next 50 years of our journey, we need your support.
With our ambitious final stage fundraising goal of $2.25 million, we will revitalize our campus. Thanks to the support of many generous donors, we have made great strides towards our overall Grounded in Growth goal of $15 million. Read more below about what we have already accomplished.
To-date, the successes of this campaign have created truly transformational improvements for our school. These successes include buying property that unifies our campus; creating a harmonious and joyous playground; launching vital scholarship and compensation initiatives; and making strong progress towards our overall campus revitalization goals.
Your support now will enable us to reach our final $2.25 million goal and complete the final stage of the campaign.
campus revitalization goal
Thanks to many donors, we have nearly secured the necessary funds to carry out our ambitious and transformational campus revitalization plans. When donors like you help us obtain the remaining funds that we need, these exciting plans can come to life.
capital improvements
In our ambitious final stage of our "Grounded in Growth" campaign, we will revitalize our campus. We will implement pivotal stages of our Campus Master Plan to improve how students play and learn, and how families experience our grounds. It includes:
Infrastructure
- Improving exterior lighting and campus electrical systems
- Improving campus WiFi
- Enhancing safety and security communications including video surveillance and access control
- Burying electrical lines that currently run above student play spaces
- Planting 328 trees, 1,294 shrubs, 11,893 perennials/grasses, and 803 bulbs
Play and Learn
- Renovating the central "quad"
- Creating a Nature Trail looping around campus
- Designing a butterfly garden, birding station, and integrated outdoor science and educational areas
- Adding new outdoor basketball court
- Updating the Lower School library
- Renovating the Preston Wing to create necessary classroom and mentor space
Family Experience
- Creating a larger drop-off/pick-up zone
- Improving traffic flow on campus
- Widening the main entrance
- Improving wayfinding and handicap accessibility
- Adding ~75 parking spaces
our outdoors, reimagined
We strive to create a welcoming, open environment that is grounded in the students and families we serve. With that in mind, we will renovate outdoor areas around campus to ensure the longevity of our school while further promoting a sense of unity and safety for our students to play and learn.
We are partnered with the firm of Jonathan Alderson Landscape Architects, Inc. to help us design our vision for the future. See the plans below.
Master Plan
This is a comprehensive view of the campus revitalization that will take place when we have reached our campaign goal.
Overall Plan: Campus Core
This close-up view of the plans for the center of campus highlights the new quad and amphitheater space, the new "campus gateway" for improved arrivals and departures, additional parking, and our newly designed low-ropes course. The illustrated circles represent new tree plantings.
campus revitalization snapshots
Dive more deeply into our campus revitalization plans that will come to life at the conclusion of this final campaign phase.
See side-by-side comparisons of our current spaces and their planned designs here.
Campaign Successes To-Date
These initiatives were launched at the start of the Grounded in Growth campaign and have already yielded tremendous improvements in how we can support our faculty and students. With the ongoing support of our donors, we commit to sustaining these initiatives throughout the life of the school.
compensation support
As we continually search for the best teachers in an increasingly competitive market and train them to be Benchmark teachers, it's vital that we have comprehensive compensation and benefits to retain our staff and continue to attract top applicants.
$500,000 annual investment since launch in 2023
Increased and restructured salaries
Added 12 weeks paid parental family leave
New healthcare plan reduced individual employee contributions by 70%
OUR GOAL
In addition to maintaining and improving the benefits above, we also plan to double the current employer contribution to retirement plans.
Your support through Grounded in Growth has a direct impact on our ability to attract and retain the best talent.
SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT
Every child who needs it should have access to a Benchmark education. With robust scholarship support thanks to EITC/OSTC giving and other forms of support, we are poised to be able to offer aid to a significantly greater percentage of families.
In the course of the Grounded in Growth campaign to-date and thanks to a lead gift of $1.75M from the Graham family, P'20, we have more than doubled the annual amount of scholarship aid.
$1.75M lead gift
Additional $1.8M raised via EITC toward scholarship and financial aid
OUR GOAL
We seek to secure enough funding to greatly increase scholarship and financial aid support to provide even more support for our current students and to make our unique learning experience accessible to a wider demographic of families.
This life-changing support enables many more students to begin and remain at Benchmark.
brodnik outdoor learning environment (BOLE)
Our spectacular playground is the Brodnik Outdoor Learning Environment. Completed in November 2023, this play space is uniquely designed in harmony with our wooded campus and students' interests.
A $500,000 gift from Matthew and Maggie Brodnik, P'22 made this centerpiece of campus come to life.
BOXHILL
With the purchase of the historic home called Boxhill and its grounds, we have been able to realize many benefits, both immediate and potential:
3.3 acre addition to middle of campus
New meeting & administrative spaces in Boxhill allow for additional instructional spaces in the Middle School
Potential to host guest speakers and artists-in-residence/researchers-in-residence
84 additional parking spaces
Improved campus navigation
Boxhill & Benchmark: Together at Last
Designed by William Lightfoot Price, Boxhill was built in 1901 and is the original estate of the grounds on which Benchmark currently resides, and is an architecturally significant example of the work of the Arts and Crafts movement in the region. Read more about the history of Boxhill.
Benchmark purchased its first piece of land from Boxhill's earlier owners in 1972, enabling Benchmark to build the Lower School. Boxhill has existed as its own privately owned parcel in the middle of our campus for decades until Benchmark's purchase as part of this campaign.
With its purchase and the accompanying 3.3 acres, Benchmark effectively fills in the "donut hole" of our campus. Today, we have a fully unified campus.
Video Gallery: The Voices of our community
Hear from our staff, families, and students about the transformative effects of this campaign in these 1-minute videos.
Our Campus Experience
Outdoor play
Aid and Scholarships
Supporting Faculty
Everything we do, every single day here, including and especially this campaign, is tied to our mission, to improving the student experience, to improving the parent experience, to delivering an excellent education.
Chris Hancock
Head of School
Indoor Learning Spaces
HOW TO SUPPORT THE CAMPAIGN
Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of our community, we have raised more than $12 million through a variety of impactful avenues, including:
- Multi-year pledges
- Gifts of stock
- Matching gifts
- Planned giving
- Corporate support
Every contribution, in the form that is most convenient and powerful for you, strengthens our campus, expands opportunities for students, and ensures that Benchmark School continues to thrive for generations to come.
Contact Chris Hancock, Head of School, to learn more about supporting the final stage of the Grounded in Growth campaign.
chris Hancock
Head of School
chrishancock@benchmarkschool.org
610-565-3741, ext. 112
Naming Opportunities
Personalize your support for this campaign and demonstrate your lasting commitment to Benchmark School.