Boarding Advisory Group Plans for New Dormitories
The addition of two new dormitories on campus this fall will allow Milton—in keeping with the School's historical tradition—to bring the number of day students and boarding students to parity. While the School will not change in its overall size, Milton’s boarding program will grow by 80-70 students and 10 faculty members over the next two years.

To prepare for the growth the boarding community will experience, the School formed a Boarding Advisory Group. Made up of administrators, house faculty and students, the advisory group is charged with planning for the smooth integration new students and faculty into larger boarding community—and helping the departments responsible for those areas develop plans to meet the needs of a larger population.

The advisory group is working to identify and address important considerations, such as:

 

• What is the best way to fill all nine houses?
• What programmatic changes do we need to make to accommodate the increased size of the residential life program (e.g. chapel program, health services, facilities, campus safety, activities, dining services, etc)?
• What are some of the intangible affects of increasing the boarding population?
• What support will the house faculty and students need to develop the two new houses into thriving parts of the Milton Academy community?
• What support will the new houses need to develop their own culture, texture and systems?

Filling the new dorms
“Typically students live in one dormitory for all their years at Milton; houses therefore include students from all four classes." Andre Heard, assistant dean for residential life explained that the advisory group is working to populate the new dorms so that Milton students will continue to benefit from living with older and younger “siblings.”

Prior to spring break the advisory group met with the members of each house present the plans for the exteriors and interiors of the new dormitories, and explain the process for filling the new dorms. Faulkner House will close this June and its current residents have the first option“” to move into the new boys’ dorm. The deadline for students to express interest in moving to the new dorms was April 5. Interested students needed to write a letter addressing why they want to live in the new dorms and what they would add to the house. Students were also asked to discuss the possibility of a move with their house head and advisor.

“We hope that the current students and faculty who move to the new dormitories will act as leaders helping to lay the groundwork for a close-knit community; one that develops its own identity and traditions while benefiting from the hallmark strengths of Milton’s boarding experience,” says Andre.

“Students are focused on the changes in our School,” says Izzy Mattia a student-member of the advisory group. “Many are sad about the closing of Faulkner, but at the same time we are excited about the future.”

The advisory group, which meets Wednesday mornings at 7 a.m. has set up an online conference for students to raise questions or gather more information about the group’s progress. The student members of the group are also canvassing campus to gather input form the larger student community.

Learn more abou the new dormitories at Milton Academy's Master Plan site