THE SOUTH CAMPUS A Groundbreaking Event

Ten Years Later: A Groundbreaking Success Story

WHEN AUDREY V. ’24 WROTE a 2023 April Fool’s Day spoof in the student publication, The Hawk’s Eye, on the South Campus not opening until the year 3020 (no...that’s not a typo!), it was after over a decade of community-wide anticipation. While written in good fun, there were shreds of truth in her words. Audrey first heard about the project shortly after coming to the school in 7th grade. “I remember an assembly where there was a presentation on the ‘Road to 2020’ [strategic plan] and I recall being excited about the idea of utilizing the South Campus in high school.”

But after numerous delays, Audrey admits that it “definitely made me less excited once I realized it wouldn’t happen while I’m still here.” She’s not alone. Adds Matthew W. ’24, “Once the pandemic hit when I was in 8th grade and construction still hadn’t started, I sort of figured our grade [class] wouldn’t be around for the South Campus. I’m sure Head-Royce did everything they could to break ground as soon as possible…but I can’t help but wish it was constructed earlier so that our grade [class] would be able to experience it for at least a year.”

Today’s seniors were in 1st grade when the school was presented with a chance to purchase the land from Lincoln Child Center (now known as Lincoln Families). Acquiring eight acres adjacent to the existing campus was an unheard of opportunity—one that Head-Royce quickly seized. It would be the last quick thing on the South Campus journey.

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renovation of certain buildings, demolition of others, and construction of new spaces. In late December 2018, the school submitted its official building plan centered on four key elements: additional classroom space with stateof-the-art STEM labs to support handson learning and multi-disciplinary exploration; an eight-acre educational greenbelt with outdoor spaces for small group work, collaborative learning, and reflection; an integrated infrastructure, including a new Loop Driveway and pedestrian tunnel, easing Lincoln Avenue traffic and increasing safety; and

Head-Royce officially purchased the property in February 2013. Over the next five years, the school selected project partners and held many meetings with employees, neighbors, city officials, consultants/experts, parents, and students…and the future of the South Campus slowly began to take shape.

While the specifics have changed over time, the vision always included outdoor learning gardens, the a modern Performing Arts Center as a hub for artistic expression in support of Head-Royce’s whole child philosophy.

Over the next few years—despite the pandemic, which stalled much of the City’s support of the project—the school continued to see a flurry of activity around the South Campus. Preliminary drawings were generated, site inspections were conducted, feasibility studies were created, budgets were estimated and refined, paperwork was submitted, and much more was done to move the project forward, including the launch of a major capital campaign.

Finally, after two city-generated environmental reports, five hearings, dozens of property tours, thousands of meeting hours logged, the largest and most successful capital campaign in school history, and over ten long years later, on September 19, 2023, the school finally received approval to break ground on the South Campus.

And just a few weeks later, on Saturday, October 14, a beautiful fall day, many South Campus supporters gathered for a ceremonial groundbreaking and celebrated the momentous occasion. Said Peter Smith, ’78, Head-Royce Board Chair who played an instrumental role in this and other Head-Royce expansion projects, “Although a starting point in some ways, breaking ground marked the culmination of over a decade of work by school leadership and a talented team of volunteers and consultants.”

Construction officially began a few days later on the first phase of the project, which includes the restoration of four buildings—three of them historic—creating new opportunities for STEM classrooms, a welcome center, collaboration hubs, and administrative offices. It also includes the internal Loop Driveway, taking single occupancy dropoff and pick-up onto private property. This phase will also see the addition of a turn lane and traffic signal, and upgrades to existing crosswalk signals, which currently operate around-theclock irrespective of traffic patterns.

After many years of waiting, the progress each month is rapid. At the time of writing, nearly all the demolition and tree removal was complete, and the abatement process had started. By mid-spring although no visitors will be able to visit the construction site, the South Campus vision will become more and more visible…along with beautiful views of the Mormon Temple and the San Francisco Bay.

Says Smith, “This marks a major expansion for the school—more students, more buildings, and, most importantly, more land. The school is now able to thoughtfully grow in a way that makes the most sense for current and future generations of Jayhawks.”

$25,054,261 total raised for the South Campus project

$805,084 raised during Day of Giving, the largest number of gifts in a single day in school history with 484 donations

$2,408,254 raised for endowment during South Campus fundraising campaign