University School Raises $108 Million to Support Faculty, Students

Offering tangible evidence of the value that alumni and parents place on a University School education and the teachers who deliver it, the school’s recently concluded comprehensive campaign raised more than $108 million.

“Early in our outreach, we met one-on-one with more than 300 alumni and parents to find out what they value most about University School,” said campaign chair Henry L. Meyer III, a 1968 US graduate.

“The answer by far was the faculty and the impact they have on transforming boys’ lives. Because they are the heart and soul of a University School education, it is essential that we continue to attract and retain outstanding teachers and provide the tools and environment that allow them to be their very best.”

Faculty and students are already reaping the benefits of the “We Are US!” campaign through resulting investments in academic and research facilities; interactive technology; research, entrepreneurship and leadership opportunities for students; expanded financial aid and scholarships; enhanced compensation and professional development programs for faculty; upgraded athletic facilities and more.

“US boys are curious and thrive for excellence,” said Benjamin Rein, headmaster. “The exceptional education they receive through the commitment, care and compassion of the finest teachers anywhere helps them become leaders in every industry. More importantly, we are making outstanding human beings who become good husbands, fathers and citizens.”

University School has campuses in Hunting Valley and Shaker Heights. Its multi-year campaign total represents the largest amount ever raised by an independent day school in the Midwest and ranks in the top five among independent day schools nationwide.

The single largest component is $40 million in new construction on two campuses including an academic wing on the Hunting Valley Campus, which was fully funded before ground was broken. The 52,000-square-foot facility includes more than 10,000 square feet devoted to science and research, including labs for physics, chemistry, biology and environmental science; 10,000 square feet for hands-on learning, including a robotics and rocketry lab and two computer-aided design classrooms; and academic space devoted to the humanities, including 27 classrooms for English, history, math and language.

In addition, extensive renovation of the original classroom building now provides for state-of-the-art facilities for the visual and performing arts.

With an additional investment of $1.25 million in faculty compensation, US has become the compensation leader among independent schools in Northeast Ohio. Campaign funds also supported more than 100 faculty professional development experiences in over 60 cities in 11 countries on six continents.

To help ensure accessibility to a US education for the region’s most promising boys without regard to their family circumstances, the school also doubled the amount of financial aid available to students, including the addition of 17 full-tuition scholarships.

Expanded entrepreneurship and leadership programs for students include five-week paid apprenticeships; stipends for college students to explore the field of teaching by working with Reach, the school’s tuition-free summer program for middle-school African-American boys; and opportunities and resources for students to start their own companies.