Dear Great Hearts Irving Community,
I hope this finds you well as summer takes hold and we begin to think about what lies beyond this unique school year. I am reaching out today to share an exciting and long-awaited update regarding the future of our Irving campuses.
A year ago, I began working closely with Great Hearts Texas leadership to respond to our community’s pressing need for a gymnasium at the Upper School campus. It had become clear that with new obstacles facing the capital campaign because of COVID and a large financial gap remaining, we would need to find an alternative solution for funding the gym. It was also becoming clear that the Upper School needed a Multiple Purpose Room (MPR) for assemblies, events, and lunch, and to allow classrooms, two science labs, and the library to fulfill their intended purposes rather than serve as lunch rooms. Meeting these facility needs is essential to the Upper School offering its scholars the full Great Hearts program.
To meet these needs, we have formulated a new plan. While the Lower School completes its lease on Story Road (which runs through spring 2025), the Upper School will expand enrollment in its middle school and build both a full-sized gymnasium as well as a new 6-8 Middle School building on the undeveloped portion of the Upper School campus. At full scale, the new Middle School will have its own headmaster and leadership team and serve roughly 600 students. It will also house two MPRs, one for the Middle School and one for the Upper School.
I am very pleased to report that this plan to develop Great Hearts Irving Upper School’s campus and expand its enrollment has now been approved by our Board as well as the Texas Education Agency. We will be moving forward right away. This summer we will break ground on the gymnasium as well as the new Middle School building. Both will be completed in time for the 2022-2023 school year.
I would not be sharing this joyful news today without the dedicated team of parents who have been driving us towards our goal for the gym these past several years: Scott Pirnie, Suzy LeSage, Saurabh Singhal, Steve Nyugen, Gino Rossini, Mohammed Fazal, Amanda Nicholls and Mark Cronenwett. Their personal contributions and tireless efforts have helped raise a major portion of the total needed to make the gym a reality ($774,000). We are deeply grateful to them and all who have generously pledged their support.
We plan to host a townhall event in June to walk through these plans in greater detail and take parent questions. Please look for an invitation in the near future.
Yours in service,
