Skip To Main Content

Campus Master Plan

Saint Mary’s School is growing and thriving.

Ragland, Cruikshank, Bratton Hall, Kenan Library, the Chapel - these and other spaces on campus have been central to the Saint Mary's experience for generations of young women.

Today, Saint Mary's is preparing to transform once again with a new campus Master Plan designed to "embrace the beauty of our campus, honor our history, and provide us with a solid foundation to grow our programming and community as we move through the 21st century," says former Board Chair Gloria Taft Becker '92HS.

Following an extensive search for the right partner, Saint Mary's Board of Trustees selected Glavé and Holmes Architecture of Richmond, Va., to work with the school to develop the campus Master Plan. The Board of Trustees Master Plan Committee, under the leadership of William Monk, spent 2018 working closely with Glavé and Holmes to identify the school's strengths and opportunities, and to align those with a framework to advance the physical environment of the school. Information gathered through a comprehensive site analysis, as well as input form students, faculty, staff, and alumnae regarding programming and the use of campus spaces was used in creating the Master Plan.

Today, Saint Mary's is preparing to transform once again with a new campus Master Plan designed to "embrace the beauty of our campus, honor our history, and provide us with a solid foundation to grow our programming and community as we move through the 21st century," says former Board Chair Gloria Taft Becker '92HS.

Following an extensive search for the right partner, Saint Mary's Board of Trustees selected Glavé and Holmes Architecture of Richmond, Va., to work with the school to develop the campus Master Plan.

The Board of Trustees Master Plan Committee, under the leadership of William Monk, spent 2018 working closely with Glavé and Holmes to identify the school's strengths and opportunities, and to align those with a framework to advance the physical environment of the school. Information gathered through a comprehensive site analysis, as well as input form students, faculty, staff, and alumnae regarding programming and the use of campus spaces was used in creating the Master Plan.

The Master Plan has four primary goals:

1. Enhance the all-girls student experience
1. Enhance the all-girls student experience

 

  • Integrate the campus into a vibrant boarding/day community.
     
  • Create collaborative and inclusive spaces, social gathering areas, and flexible classrooms.
     
  • Promote the distinct all-girls curriculum with improved, dedicated facilities.
Girls in Raleigh Crosswalk
2. Capitalize on the legacy and the location of Saint Mary's School


  • Integrate community engagement and revenue-producing opportunities. 
     
  • Create welcoming, state-of-the-art facilities for use by students, alumnae, and the community.
     
  • Promote the school’s unique environment of mentorship, confident discourse, and leadership.
Girl walks front campus 2
3. Re-energize campus to maximize existing resources

 

  • Integrate and improve housing for on-dorm faculty and students.
     
  • Create program synergies and efficiencies within and between existing buildings.
Girl at Easel
4. Promote existing core programs in academics, arts, and athletics.

 

  •  Promote existing core programs in academics, arts, and athletics.

In 1998, we made the decision to become a boarding/day high school. In 2014 we tipped the balance on our enrollment to become majority boarding. Over the last decade we have continued to increase enrollment against trends which, according to the Wall Street Journal, show a 14 percent drop in independent school enrollment nationally.

What drives our momentum? Our ability to think differently. In April 2019, the board of trustees made the next important step in the leadership phase of our Saint Mary's Forever Campaign preparations. With a recommendation from the campaign steering committee and campaign leaders, a motion was approved to continue the leadership phase of the campaign and set the guidelines for the two key aspects of our plan.

  • We will only begin building when we have gifts and pledges covering 100 percent of the costs needed for a building project.
  • We will focus on a learning hub with two centers of excellence in our academics facilities plan.
    • A new performing arts and humanities center through the renovation of Eliza Battle Pittman Auditorium.
    • An academic corridor anchored by Ragland Hall with the construction of a new building.

Campaign Phases