TRUE BLUE: A Campaign for Blue Ridge School

A CAMPAIGN FOR BLUE RIDGE SCHOOL

BLUE RIDGE SCHOOL IS A UNIQUE AND IMPORTANT PLACE.

As one of the two remaining all-boys, all-boarding college preparatory schools in the United States, BRS has proudly remained faithful to its founders’ vision.

While many peer schools have changed to meet the times, Blue Ridge has remained true to its vision while continuing to grow its endowment, invest in its extraordinary campus, and retain its most gifted faculty.

Thanks to these accomplishments, the families we serve have never been happier, and all of us who love the school are proud of the outcomes our graduates achieve.

In today’s increasingly competitive independent school marketplace, operating costs and customer expectations have reached new heights. Bringing the right students and faculty to St. George requires more diligence and greater resources than ever before.

In response, Blue Ridge School has launched TRUE BLUE, a comprehensive campaign seeking $25M in new commitments between now and 2030.

In the pages that follow, you will see what BRS believes are its next essential investments.

From a new dormitory to STEAM laboratories and scholarship endowment, this set of initiatives will empower Blue Ridge to hold its course and continue to be a leader among American independent schools.

We hope you will find this campaign compelling. Choosing Blue Ridge has proven to be a tremendous benefit to ourselves and our families, and we invite you to join us as we further strengthen our remarkable School.

Go Barons.

Sharon Spence Rymer P’17

P. Brooks Minford ‘09 Co-Chair Co-Chair

STANDING TRUE BLUE A COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGN

Over the last 60+ years, thousands of alumni and parents agree that Blue Ridge School is both one-of-a-kind and unrivaled in its life-changing value to a young man.

Thanks to the ever-growing loyalty of our school family, since 2012, BRS has doubled its endowment, invested nearly $20M into the campus physical plant, become more selective and better balanced in admissions, and won more athletic awards than at any point in its history.

While these successes are celebratory for sure, maintaining our uniqueness in an increasingly competitive marketplace is now the charge.

For Blue Ridge School to preserve its all-boys and boarding traditions and be fully recognized as the educational leader it has long been, a landmark effort is needed.

1

CAPITAL PROJECTS

For BRS to thrive long into the future, we must meet modern expectations of accommodations for students. Current dormitories were sufficient for their time when built in the 60s and 70s, but are misaligned with the expectations of today’s families. BRS must improve our campus, particularly student living, to remain a first-choice school.

2

THE BARON FUND

Our annual fund provides an irreplaceable portion of our operating budget during our TRUE BLUE campaign and beyond. Year after year, the Baron Fund fills the gap between tuition and the actual cost of a Blue Ridge education, meeting the day-to-day needs of our community.

3

Scholarships are critical to our mission of providing a BRS experience to the boys with the most to gain. Yet, in recent years, a shortfall of tuition assistance was the top reason accepted families were forced to decline enrollment. As early as five years ago, 40% of our student body received some variation of financial aid or scholarships. Today, it is nearly 80%. The need is real, and Blue Ridge must rise to the challenge to stay competitive and serve our boys in the most

4

BARON ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP FUND PLANNED GIVING

You can make provisions for BRS in your will or trust, including IRA distributions, life insurance, annuities, and even charitable remainder trusts through which your beneficiaries will receive ongoing payments. By becoming a member of the St. George Society, you will play a considerable role in ensuring the School’s footing for the future while building an enduring legacy.

CRITICAL CAMPUS IMPROVEMENTS

MODELING WHAT A FIRSTCHOICE SCHOOL LOOKS LIKE

MEETING THE EXPECTATIONS OF TODAY’S FAMILIES

New dormitories and improvements to campus community spaces have been designed to meet today’s family’s idea of what a great community looks like.

From beautiful lakefront landscaping and stellar Friday night lights to enviable student living accomodations, we need to improve the first impression we make on visiting families assessing our community.

SENIOR DORM

COLLEGE PREP LIVING

PREPARING SENIORS FOR SUCCESS IN COLLEGE

Seniors will be moving on to unsupervised college living in their next year. Yet, many college freshmen struggle with their newfound independence and make poor choices. 24% drop out after their first year.

EMULATE COLLEGE LIVING

Our new senior dorm plans are designed to emulate college living, providing an ideal stepping stone to adult living. Seniors will enjoy apartment-style suites featuring private bedrooms and common spaces.

PRIVACY IN THE PRIVY

Bathrooms and shower facilities with more privacy to respect personal space needs will be a welcome upgrade for our boys. These will include fully enclosed private toilets and doors on showers versus curtains.

BRINGING THE OUTDOORS IN

Our mountain setting is a signature strength of our campus that our existing dorms were not designed to leverage. The new dorm will feature more windows, skylights, and sliding glass doors to provide greater access to our mountain bike/hiking trails.

PREPARING BOYS FOR TOMORROW’S CAREERS

What do science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics have in common? They all encourage the kind of critical thinking and innovative problem-solving our boys will need for the careers of tomorrow.

A quality STEAM lab provides the tools for students to analyze issues systematically with a scientific mindset. The TRUE BLUE campaign calls for the creation of two new STEAM labs in the old dining hall kitchen, extending our academic wing.

FACULTY HOUSING

SUPPORTING THE UNIQUE DEVOTION OF OUR FACULTY

In addition to the two faculty apartments planned on-site in the new senior dorm, our campaign calls for three faculty houses to be located in the Faculty Commons and behind the lake. Currently, 75% of our faculty live on campus. Our goal is 100%. Offering housing makes the school more competitive and helps to attract the best and brightest.

FIELD IMPROVEMENTS

BRING ON THE FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

The highlight of many parent and alumni visits to the school happen at Alumni Field and Massey Fieldhouse. TRUE BLUE calls for an upgrade to the entryway of the fieldhouse, new field lighting, and a new scoreboard. These improvements are not just driven by our visitors; new field lights were a top student request in a recent survey.

LAKEFRONT IMPROVEMENTS

A BEAUTIFUL FIRST IMPRESSION

Ever since Reverend Mayo wandered up this valley on horseback in 1909, the beauty of our campus has left an indelible impression on visitors. Some of the best views of campus can be had from the shores of our lake. TRUE BLUE calls for a new hardscaped lake access area made from local natural stone, a larger dock, and a sitting deck. A new lake circuit trail will encourage visitors to soak it all in. The trail entrance, adjacent to Battlehouse, will serve as a welcoming gateway to our 20-mile trail system.

I AM DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR MY BLUE RIDGE EXPERIENCE.

I am fortunate to be one of 43 members of the Blue Ridge School Class of 1969. We were all-boys, all-boarding, believed in honor and dress codes, loved the outdoors, fought like crazy against bigger schools in athletics, and did our best to prepare for college and life.

It makes me very proud that today’s Blue Ridge School senior class—more than 55 years later—can be described in almost exactly the same way. The passing of time has shown that most of my classmates and I have led engaged and meaningful lives and have been blessed to make a difference in our world. There is no doubt in my mind that Blue Ridge is an essential element in this success.

This Campaign will give BRS the next set of tools it needs to compete and thrive in the current world while remaining true to the structure and values that make Blue Ridge special.

I hope you will join me and my family in supporting TRUE BLUE. Go Barons.

Julian P. Van Winkle, III ‘69

National Honorary Chair

TRUE BLUE

President, Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery Louisville, Kentucky

THE TENACITY OF OUR MISSION

THIS KIND OF SCHOOL

The following statement is from our school’s first capital campaign in the 1960s. We include it here with a sense of pride that we have stayed true to the mission of the founders of this school.

This school believes that the traditional qualities of personal leadership, integrity, and the ability to deal with ideas and people must be restored to the academic world. Our mission is to prove to educators, parents, and the public at large that schools of our kind, with our purpose, can make a very substantial contribution to the field of education.

It is important for our school to make every effort to acquire the facilities to stand as a national model for schools designed to serve boys of promise. Blue Ridge School needs your help to continue to be this kind of school.

For the permanence of Blue Ridge School, you can help us stay TRUE BLUE .