Milton Academy’s most ambitious campaign in School history, Dare: The Campaign for Milton, concluded on June 30. Dare made a commitment to the people of Milton, with student financial aid and faculty recruitment and retention named as top priorities, along with support for the Milton Fund and campus improvements.
“We launched Dare to put Milton on a firm financial foundation,” Head of School Todd Bland said. “When we began the campaign in 2015, our endowment was two to three times smaller than our peer schools. By growing our endowment, we are making a commitment to investing in our students and faculty today and to securing Milton’s future.”
Some early results of Dare include growth of the financial aid budget from $8.9 million to $13.1 million, a 2015 faculty-wide salary increase, a more robust faculty professional development program, and upgrades to our many academic buildings and residences.
The Art and Media Center gained a modern darkroom, an expanded production room, a Mac computer lab, and 3D and large-format printers, while the Computer Science program gained three new classrooms and a larger robotics lab. Ware Hall received significant upgrades including classroom finishes, a new HVAC system, an elevator to improve accessibility, new science classrooms and learning support areas. King Theatre now has a new projection screen and control booth to support our plays and performances. A new K–8 maker space was developed for the Caroline Saltonstall building, and Lower School renovations enhanced the art room, Spanish room, woodworking room, and library areas. The Athletic and Convocation Center has a new HVAC system that uses the latest environmental heat exchanging technology to cool the entire building, produce ice for the hockey rink, and heat and cool our squash courts and Chapel. Milton’s first turf field, Berylson Field, provides more opportunities for student-athletes playing sports nearly exclusively played on turf, such as field hockey and lacrosse, and offers all-season outdoor space for students campus wide.
Our eight student houses were renovated to enhance the student living experience, including larger or new common rooms and study spaces, improved kitchens, and new furniture. In addition, select buildings saw new lighting, improved sound proofing, and new roofs. In support of faculty housing and retention, Milton has increased the number of family-sized homes, including two newly-built four-bedroom houses. In addition, the School has renovated more than twenty faculty houses and apartments.
These investments were all made possible by support from thousands of alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends. “This campaign prompted many of us to ask, ‘If I don’t support Milton now, then when? And if not me, who?’” said Campaign Committee Vice Chair Stuart Mathews P ’13 ’17 ’17. “My kids benefited from the legacy others left, and it’s our responsibility to provide this experience for others.”
The campaign raised more than $182 million, exceeding its $175 million goal. Endowment funds provide security during uncertain economic times and lessen Milton’s reliance on tuition dollars. Milton’s endowment distribution is set at 4.5 percent of the fund’s value from the previous 12 quarters, allowing Milton to put some of the financial resources to work today, while the remainder is reinvested for the future. Through the success of Dare, our endowment now generates more than $5 million in annual revenue for the School, a 63 percent increase since the start of the campaign. Those funds, combined with a successful Milton Fund now raising $5 million annually in support of the operating budget, directly benefit today’s students and teachers.
Head of School Todd Bland sees a renewed commitment to the health of the School through annual, planned, and endowment gifts. “This campaign will make a lasting difference for our students and teachers,” Bland said. “I couldn’t be more inspired by what we accomplished on behalf of the people of Milton, and the optimism I have for our future.”
More information can be found at www.milton.edu/campaign.
