Written By: Olivia Pierry

In the not so distant future, the plans for East Campus, purchased three years ago, will go from merely an idea to a reality. Mr. Dunn, Head of School, states the School is currently in the process of talking to the city council about what the plans are. He says, “Our hope is to, in a year, a year and a half, get started.” Ms. MacAffer, Assistant Head of School for Finance and Operations, adds that it took the school twenty-seven years to obtain this campus. She explained the myriad of restrictions on the East Campus, stating how it is to be used merely for athletic and recreational purposes, with an allocated twenty-nine percent of usable hours offered to the community outside of Rye Country Day School. 

The master plan, explained by both Mr. Dunn and Ms. MacAffer, is to move the hockey rink to East Campus, build new squash courts where the rink is currently located, increase parking spaces on the east and west sides of campus, and expand both academic and athletic facilities. Parking, a prominent issue, would be resolved, as all Middle and Upper School students would be dropped off at the parking spots on East Campus, which would be located under the new turf field. These students would have the opportunity to drop off equipment at the athletic facilities and then walk through the tunnel connecting East Campus to the current campus to reach their classrooms. Lower Schoolers would be dropped off where the Upper School parking spaces are currently located. Furthermore, a new academic building will  be built where the Lower School parking lot currently is. 

Mr. Dunn states, “I hope people realize it’s more than just what’s happening on the East Campus. There is a lot happening on this campus too.” The Pinkham building will also be renovated and expanded, while most math and science classes will be moved to the new building, where the Lower School parking lot currently stands. 

These changes bring immense attention to academics, Mr. Dunn explains. He states the new academic building would allow for an increase of space. Ms. Heath, the Upper School Interim Principal, explains how the classrooms and learning spaces would become more flexible, allowing for interactive lessons. Both mention that East Campus’ effect on student life extends beyond academics. The new spaces would foster more areas for collaboration and would allow for a larger amount of leisure spaces for the students, supporting both academic and social well being. When focusing specifically on the effects of the East Campus for Upper Schoolers, Ms. Heath adds, “I think the school will have a more collegiate feel when this all happens.” These new reforms would better reflect a college campus, allowing the transition from the Upper  School to college to feel more familiar. Furthermore, the new campus would bring about many opportunities for interesting projects that extend beyond classes, explains Ms. Heath. 

When asked about student involvement in this process, Mr. Dunn responds by saying how in the next phase, once all the plans get approved, there will be an opportunity for students and faculty to give input on what they are looking for, whether that be additional classrooms, different furniture, or simply more space. 

The East Campus and the reforms that will be brought about with it align with the mission of Rye Country Day as it will innovate the academic program by focusing on experimental learning. The new facilities would reflect these opportunities for higher education and learning, explains Mr. Dunn. Finally, he mentions how “the key to this is that we’re providing and nurturing the present while making sure that excellence will just continue into the future.”