Building on the Cornerstone Capital Campaign

BUILDING ON THE CORNERSTONE A campaign to build a facility and campus home for The Stonehaven School

For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

- 1 Corinthians 3:11

THE STONEHAVEN SCHOOL C U LT I VAT I N G T R UT H , G O O D N E S S , A N D B E AUT Y

BUILDING ON THE CORNERSTONE

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THE STONEHAVEN SCHOOL

CASE FOR SUPPORT The Stonehaven Case for Support outlines a three-year vision for growth needed to establish a permanent presence in Marietta and give Stonehaven the room for growth it needs to boldly pursue its classical Christian mission. Developed after thorough analysis of the financial condition of Stonehaven, review of projected enrollment growth, assessment of the need to grow, the $3.2 million Campaign Case for Support reflects critical funding needed to secure our future through establishing a permanent campus and facility home.

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THE STONEHAVEN SCHOOL

CONTENTS The Stonehaven Story

04

Future Home for Stonehaven

06

Tuition Model

08

Stonehaven Stories

09

Financial Model

10

Planning Process and Program Budget

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THE STONEHAVEN STORY What if a school was primarily focused on nurturing a child to be a particular someone rather than to simply do something? This question lies at the root of Stonehaven’s Christ-centered classical education. Christians are encouraged to bring up their children in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). The Stonehaven School exists to assist Christian parents in this responsibility. The school’s mission is to glorify God by cultivating truth, goodness, and beauty in students through a distinctly Christ-centered classical education. Stonehaven is a Christ-centered, classical school currently serving 118 students in Kindergarten through Eighth Grade. It is the only Christ-centered classical school in Marietta. The school has consistently increased enrollment on average 7% over the past five years. The growth of our school and a bigger vision for how to serve our local community is prompting the school to embark on a path to secure a permanent facility home.

“Stonehaven has been the best match to the ideal education I want for my son.

There is an emphasis on growing virtue, on the importance of the fine arts, and on academic excellence.” - Parent, Spring Survey 2018

STONEHAVEN TODAY

Stonehaven Students Standardized Testing Results

Stonehaven’s rich classical approach to learning nurtures in children an appetite for knowledge. From patiently observing the growth of a plant to possessing the mental fortitude to determine the solutions of a quadratic equation, Stonehaven helps children appreciate and

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curriculum to prepare a child to think logically, write persuasively, and Text here

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speak winsomely. Rooted in the belief that the fine arts are integral

to a true, good, and beautiful education, Stonehaven has invested significant resources and energy to distinguishing the arts as an area of excellence.

94%

Students in top 20%

The classical Christian approach at Stonehaven utilizes a broad-based

60%

Average Percentile Rank

20 percent of students nationwide on the Stanford Achievement Test.

Students in top 50%

love God’s world. Stonehaven students consistently score in the top

84%

BUILDING ON THE CORNERSTONE

Stonehaven’s steadfast commitment to only hiring

THE STONEHAVEN SCHOOL

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Enrollment Growth

faculty members with a strong personal Christian faith is one of the school’s greatest strengths. All subjects are taught within a biblical framework and every faculty member and administrator is expected to lead and mentor through their own conduct. The desire by the entire staff to nurture the soul and the mind of each student is the foundation of our mission and enhances the value of a Stonehaven education. Coherence around the school’s purpose is demonstrated by a strong

14-15 94

15-16 105

16-17 104

17-18 109

18-19 118

16-17 26

17-18 36

18-19 34

Middle School Growth

retention of full-time teachers. The school has had only one full-time teacher position available in the past four years.

14-15 14

15-16 23

The seventy families enrolled at Stonehaven are committed and excited about the school’s future. The school consistently surveys the families to gauge their level of satisfaction with the school. Over the past three years, Stonehaven’s Net Promoter Score has averaged 89 which is markedly higher than the independent school average of 61. When asked in the survey “What about Stonehaven would you like to see changed?” one of the most common answers continues to be a desire that the school develop its own dedicated campus and facility. The unique program offered at Stonehaven is attracting a wide range of families from across Northwest Atlanta.

Family Geographic Distribution

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FUTURE HOME FOR STONEHAVEN

Although the school is standing upon a strong and stable foundation of success, it is time to find a permanent home to ensure our long-term sustainability. For fourteen years, the school has leased space from two different churches. Both situations have provided for the short-term needs of the school but have not been able to provide a long-term vision for the school’s future. The school finds itself at a critical juncture needing to fully establish its presence in the community and find a campus that allows freedom to boldly pursue programs that will significantly enhance the school’s unique academic program. The current facility provides limits to the school’s ability to grow enrollment. All classroom spaces in the facility are being utilized.

Stonehaven lacks a visible presence in the community limiting our ability to attract prospective families.

The Building on the Cornerstone Campaign will provide a campus and facility establishing the future of Stonehaven’s viability. This campus and facility will allow Stonehaven to fulfill its mission in four crucial areas: •

Long-term home for the school allowing it to build a facility and campus that reflects its unique character

•

Ability to grow the academic program through the twelfth grade

•

Giving room to develop unique programs related to the school’s Christ-centered classical philosophy

•

Providing space to grow enrollment towards a goal of 500 students

Stonehaven’s location in central Marietta provides an opportunity for growth. The school is poised to become the premier classical Christian school in the metro Atlanta area. This campaign is crucial in helping the school grow roots that will allow us to reach more families with the truth, goodness, and beauty of a Stonehaven education.

Enrollment Growth Projections

2022-2023

228 Students

199 Students

2021-2022

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173 Students

2020-2021

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2019-2020

150 Students

130 Students

120 Students

2018-2019

Text here

Text here 109 Students

2017-2018

2023-2024

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THE STONEHAVEN SCHOOL

PHASE I - Campus and Upper School Building

$3.2 M

The Stonehaven Campus at 521 Atlanta Street will be strategically located near the historic Marietta Square. This location allows the school to continue attracting prospective families from both Marietta and Smyrna. Highlights of the campus include: •

A beautiful four-acre permanent campus for Stonehaven to call home in August 2020

•

An 8,200 sq foot building that will provide capacity for 90 7th-12th grade students

•

Eight classically designed classrooms

•

Common Area (Dining Area & Library)

•

Kitchen

•

Athletic Field

* Renderings of 500-student facility and campus

PHASE II - Lower School Building and Gymnasium

$5 M

A second phase projected to be completed by August of 2024 will include: •

Expansion of academic building by 20,000 sq foot to accommodate 240 K-12 students.

•

Fourteen additional classrooms

•

Dining Hall

•

Library

•

Gymnasium/Fine Arts Center

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TUITION MODEL From its inception, Stonehaven has strived to be a school accessible to Christian families of diverse socioeconomic, cultural, and denominational backgrounds. In Matthew 19:14, Jesus says, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” A true, good, and beautiful education should be available to all children.

A Stonehaven education should not be limited to the financial elite. The school adopted an Indexed Tuition approach in an effort to communicate clearly with our community that a Stonehaven education is accessible to families of wide-ranging socioeconomic ability. As a result, the school offers financial assistance to more than forty percent of our families.

Private schools of all varieties in the South have struggled to represent their community from a racial and cultural perspective. Stonehaven has been blessed to attract a diverse student population. Visitors to the school consistently recognize and appreciate the beautiful diversity represented in our classrooms. This diversity is an integral part helping us prepare children to love the diversity of God’s kingdom.

Student Diversity Text here

Asian

Hispanic

It is typical to find Christian schools with a strong representation of families from one or two area churches.

Stonehaven is made up of families from Christian churches of all types in the Atlanta area. This gives our children exposure to the diversity within the Christian community and helps them to interact with grace and understanding towards one another (1 Peter 3:8).

Let the little children come to Stonehaven.

“Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” - Matthew 19:14

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6%

28%

AfricanAmerican

Text here 6%

Text here 60%

White

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THE STONEHAVEN SCHOOL

THE HARPER FAMILY “I had two desires when searching out the best school for my son: one, that he would be educated by a school with a truly biblical worldview and two, that the faculty and staff would be people after God’s own heart. There are a few things that have stood out to me over the years: The foundation of prayer and obedience to God, the GREAT effort and consideration that is made to stimulate our children intellectually and spiritually, and the way our children’s sense of adventure is engaged. As my son moves on this year I am confident that the foundation Stonehaven has given him has trained him to be successful in his studies and his choices in the future.“

THE HARVEY FAMILY “The classical Christian education has been the foundation that our family has embraced from the beginning of our schooling days with our children. Having a son living with a physical disability,

we experienced a challenge in finding a school

community with both the biblical foundation and classical methodology that also could make accessibility possible for our child and others. We have been overwhelmed by Stonehaven’s responsiveness to our family and the integrity to make their campus a thriving place of learning for our son, providing the same good, true and beautiful educational environment that we desire for not only our family but others like ours.”

THE WILKINSON FAMILY “We brought Yabsera home from Ethiopia in 2014. For a year, Stonehaven supported us through a hard transition while she learned English and life in America all while creating a safe place for our son Nate to be loved during this transitional time in his life. Brett and all of the teachers worked with us to find the right grade level for Yabsera to thrive despite her language challenges and lack of formal education. One of the things we love about the Classical Christian approach is that it meets children where they are in their brain development, while speaking to their hearts through the formation of virtue. This timeless approach crosses cultures and backgrounds and has allowed Yabsera to excel at Stonehaven.”

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FINANCIAL MODEL AND PLAN The Building on the Cornerstone Campaign is a major financial investment and the school will need to plan effectively to ensure financial sustainability. Working with experts in financial planning, we developed a financial model that provides a framework within which to operate over the coming five years. This model will be revisited consistently to ensure the school is making prudent decisions for its long-term viability.

2018-2019

2019-2020

2020-2021

2021-2022

2022-2023

120

130

150

173

199

Tuition (Net)

$851,000

$954,000

$1,148,000

$1,380,000

$1,653,000

Fundraising

$125,000

$136,000

$156,000

$180,000

$206,000

Other Revenue

$89,000

$91,000

$99,000

$108,000

$117,000

Total Revenue

$1,065,000

$1,181,000

$1,403,000

$1,668,000

$1,976,000

Personnel

$700,000

$753,000

$887,000

$977,000

$1,151,000

Building/Maintenance

$82,000

$83,000

$243,000

$246,000

$250,000

Other Expenses

$256,000

$261,000

$273,000

$285,000

$298,000

Total Expenses

$1,038,000

$1,097,000

$1,400,000

$1,508,000

$1,699,000

$27,000

$84,000

$3,000

$160,000

$277,000

Students

Net Income

PLANNING PROCESS AND PROGRAM BUDGET Stonehaven’s board and school leadership has conducted an extensive planning process in order to successfully launch the Building on the Cornerstone Campaign. Over the course of the last year, we have met with a broad range of professional experts who have provided valuable advice to advance our efforts.

Our real estate agent provided several properties and facilities from across all of Cobb County. With the knowledge of our possible property locations, we were able to receive quotes from three general contractors to help us fully understand the cost of the project.

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In addition, we have hosted the city council member for our ward so that she could see first hand the positive impact that a Stonehaven permanent residence will bring to Marietta. She walked us through the rezoning process for the land and we are confident we will be successful.

The Board recognizes the need for professional help to guide us through this process. After a thorough search, we hired a capital campaign consultant that will be helping us achieve our $3.2 million goal.

Identified Needs

Land

$1,180,000

Planning & Zoning

$70,000

Academic Building

$1,720,000

Athletic Field

$20,000

Furnishing & Utilities

$210,000

Total

$3,200,000

Targeted Funding

Philanthropy

$2,500,000

Stonehaven Reserves

$100,000

Financing

$600,000 Total

$3,200,000

We ask you to prayerfully consider supporting Stonehaven by making a commitment to the Building on the Cornerstone Campaign. The school’s mission has a proven record of success and merits your strong support. Your investment will make an enormous difference to generations of

families.

There are many ways in which you can contribute to the campaign. We welcome the opportunity to work with you, your broker, your tax advisor, or your attorney to help determine the best way for you to support The Stonehaven School.

THE STONEHAVEN SCHOOL C U LT I VAT I N G T R UT H , G O O D N E S S , A N D B E AUT Y

505 Atlanta St Marietta GA 30060

Telephone (770) 874-8885

E-mail: office@stonehavenschool.org