Bulloch Academy incoming first grader Lila Cate Quick shares her excitement about the "new" campus.
In fact, all of the students share Lila Cate’s excitement in starting back school on Friday, August 6th, which is also the schools 50th anniversary. It was founded by Connie Averitt on August 6, 1971.
Friday, the students will become the first students to break in the new campus and they have lots of reasons to be excited.
In August of 2018, the school launched the public phase of their multi-million dollar, futuristic, Cornerstone Campaign.
The fundraising campaign funded the 30 years strategic plan approved by the schools board. This plan would completely remake the campus and almost double the student capacity.
Craig Buckley with the architecture firm James W. Buckley & Associates developed the architectural plan which reimagined the entire campus and saw the construction of an auxiliary gym named for local business leader and B.A. supporter, Arthur Howard.
In addition a new main building was built which houses the multi-use cafetorium, media center and administrative offices. The new main building is tied into the existing campus creating a large open spaced courtyard in the center of the four buildings.
The lower school building, which formerly housed the cafeteria, has been completely renovated. The old cafeteria now contains 4 new classrooms.
New parking lots have been added and playground equipment. The next phase will see the construction of a new softball complex.
Bill Vickery, Senior Project Manager and his team at Pope Construction Company of Statesboro, brought Buckley’s vision to life in extraordinary ways.
The Cornerstone Campaign was coordinated by Savannah fundraising consultant, Phoenicia Miracle of Miracle Strategies, and also had local support from Davis Marketing.
Frank Hook, who has done fundraising work for Georgia Southern University and other local organizations for more than 30 years, served part-time on the Bulloch Academy staff as director of capital giving and major gifts. He has a grandchild attending B.A.
The Cornerstone campaign was supported and encouraged by B.A founder Connie Averitt.
The Cornerstone Campaign committee was chaired by local business leader and B.A. alum, Mike Anderson and tow co-chairs, dentist Dr. Marie Wall and E.R. physician Dr. Ruthie Crider, both B.A. parents.
When the campaign began there were 580 students in pre-K through 12th grade. Today they have seen enrollment swell to 657.
It is difficult to find words to describe the transformation of the Bulloch Academy campus. What Bulloch Academy alumni and current families have built not only provides a great education tool for our community, but it makes a statement about the importance of having a strong, vibrant independent school choice.
This new campus also provides a way to pay tribute to so many Bulloch Academy families who have been so dedicated and loyal to the success of the school.
This is most definitely a new economic development tool, placed as a gift to our community's economic developers.
We applaud and thank everyone who had a role in bringing this phenomenal dream to life on the 50th anniversary of this great institution of education. I encourage each of you to schedule a visit soon and see for yourself this incredible addition to our community.
If you would like to visit the campus contact Morgan Conner by email at [email protected] or call her at 912-764-6297.
Morgan Conner, Director of Public Relations and Advancement for Bulloch Academy took members of the Grice Connect team on a tour of the new campus.
Below is a slideshow of images from the tour:
