As implementation of Poly’s Master Plan begins, Poly kicks off a capital campaign to raise funds for construction.
By CATHERINE CLARY
News editor
In order to support the renovation and construction occurring on campus, Poly has launched a capital campaign to finance the Master Plan.
The capital campaign is a fundraising program for Poly, designed to raise money for a specific project, and it typically occurs periodically over the life of a school. Poly’s capital campaign is aimed at raising money for three key areas, according to Diane Binney, Poly’s Director of Development.
With the money raised, Poly hopes “to add to the school’s endowment, to realize the goals of the campus plan and to expand the Annual Fund.” Poly’s Annual Fund is responsible for about 10% of the school’s operating budget and supports most of Poly’s activities, while the money raised for the endowment will help support Poly’s financial aid program and encourage the faculty’s professional growth and curriculum support as well as help pay for the renovation and construction occurring on both the north and south campuses in the next few years.
Currently, the campaign is in the “quiet” or “nucleus” phase, when the fundraising campaign mainly focuses on securing donations and support from a relatively small number of individuals. This phase allows Poly to “quietly build endorsement for our plans before we share them with the broader community,” according to Binney. These donors include a variety of different people, including alumni, current and former parents, grandparents, and several of whom are supporting the school at a significant level for the first time.
The current capital campaign will differ from previous campaigns lead by Poly in that this campaign will be the first “comprehensive campaign,” meaning that “all gifts to the annual fund, the endowment and the campus plan will be counted under the campaign umbrella,” says Binney. These gifts will be counted and included in the campaign mainly during the public phase, which will commence in October 2008 and will last approximately three years, ending on June 30, 2011.
As the campaign becomes increasingly public in October of 2008, it will allow a greater number of people to participate. Says Binney, “I am so pleased that for the very first time in the school’s history, every member of the Poly community will have the opportunity the very first time in the school’s history, every member of the Poly community will have the opportunity to participate—at all levels—in the capital campaign. The Board of of Trustees and the school’s administration are strongly committed to ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to feel invested in the future of the school.”
The remodeling of Erdman Court has already begun, and electrical upgrades around campus have been installed. This summer, an addition to the Hixon building will be constructed to add space for the wood shop and the ceramics room.
On the north campus, the Myron Hunt structures will be refurbished and reconfigured, a new library and technology center will be built and several historic buildings will be moved and remodeled. New classrooms will be added and the Middle School will receive three new science labs.
Lastly, a two-story underground parking structure will be built under the northeast section of the north campus, extending approximately from California Boulevard to Poly’s swimming pool.
In preparation for these major improvements to be implemented, the fifth grade classroom buildings will be moved to the gym parking lot this summer, where they will remain. Two historic classrooms will also be restored this summer as prototypes for renovating the other classrooms. Poly purchased a Montessori School located on Catalina Avenue to accommodate the kindergarten classes during construction. The renovation of the Montessori School on Catalina will occur during the 2008-2009 academic year.
According to Binney, although the Capital Campaign is kicking off right now, it would be difficult to accurately gauge the full cost of the project.
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