Why is Episcopal moving?

Our two current campuses have served our needs quite well, but in order to remain one of the top independent day schools in the country, we need a larger, unified campus. Our new campus will enable us to best meet that goal. It will allow us to enhance and grow our curricula and build a learning environment that is intentionally designed to meet the vital needs of current and future students.

When will Episcopal move to the new campus?

We will move in the summer of 2008 and open school on our new campus September 2008.

How long will it take to construct the new campus?

We will begin construction in July 2006 and the campus will be completed for the beginning of the school year in the Fall of 2008.

This construction timetable was planned in order to ensure that students would not be disrupted in any way by our move or transition. Obviously all work is being (done away) off site from our two campuses and our students will simply finish the 2007-2008 school year at Merion and Devon and arrive for the start of school in Newtown Square.

How will the transition to the new campus affect my child?

Because we have designed our construction schedule to mesh with our academic calendar, the transition for all of Episcopal's students will be very smooth. We plan that they will finish school at either the Merion or Devon campus in the spring of 2008 and will simply arrive at a new property in the fall of that year.

While the facilities will be brand new, the faces will not. Your child will be arriving on a new campus with the same friends, faculty, coaches, and staff that they left only three months earlier.

Will tuition and enrollment at Episcopal increase after the move?

No. Our budget has the new campus project paid for from sources other than tuition. However, tuition will increase as it has in the past at a rate slightly higher than inflation due to increasing costs for benefits, faculty/staff retention, utilities, and operations.

While the project won’t require an increase in enrollment, the growth of our campus and facilities will enable us to slightly increase enrollment in the Upper School, from about 110 per class to approximately 120 per class. While Middle and Lower School enrollment will remain constant.

What transportation plans do you have for the new campus?

Every school district that currently buses to the Merion and Devon campuses will continue to do so on the new campus, with the exception of the Upper Merion, William Penn, Cheltenham, Colonial, and Springfield (Mont. County ) school districts.

We will definitely provide a shuttle that runs every morning from the Paoli train station to the new campus. The same shuttle will run back to Paoli train station twice every afternoon.

We will also provide shuttle service from select points in Philadelphia. For more information about our transportation plan, click here.

How are you going to maintain your relationship with Philadelphia?

Our board’s approval of this move four years ago was conditioned on our commitment to do whatever could be done to maintain our connection with the city and our commitment to diversity.

Currently, Episcopal is involved in over 35 city programs or events‹from music performances and curricular programs to research opportunities and community service‹and we envision that this number will only grow larger in the future.

How will the move be paid for?

After our disposition of the Devon property, we expect that the proceeds from the sale of our real estate and the Ever Episcopal Capital Campaign will provide the funds needed to complete the project. The campaign will include a $15 million component for our endowment, in effect doubling the size of this resource for the school.

In addition, it is important to re-emphasize that the new campus will not be funded by tuition dollars.

To finance construction we are anticipating going to the market with a tax-exempt bond that will be paid down by the proceeds from the two campuses plus the inflow of capital campaign pledges over the next five years.

What is happening with the Devon campus?

We have selected three commercial real estate agents and Episcopal parents— Bill Luff, Robert Fahey, and Pat Green— to assist in the disposition of the Devon Campus. The property has been on the market for the past several months and a number of open house events and strong marketing efforts have attracted a number of prospects.

What is happening with the Merion Campus

In August 2005, St. Joseph’s University and Episcopal Academy executed a definitive agreement for St. Joseph’s University’s acquisition of our facilities at Merion. The purchase price and terms are subject to a confidentiality agreement.