Sprouts teacher Jade Pero reads with students at Lakeside School in the Sprouts classroom.
“With feet on the ground, the school is taking measured paces toward long-term sustainability with plans to purchase the buildings and property at Black Kettle Farm.
Lakeside has leased the facilities and grounds for 10 years for one dollar a year through a generous agreement with the Eddy Foundation.
“But with promising trends for continued growth and increased recognition for the school’s unique, outdoor-focused education, the Lakeside board, faculty and community have decided to solidify their connection to the land and launch a major capital campaign to purchase the Black Kettle property including buildings, barns, farm fields, gardens, and orchards,” the school’s board announced in a recent news release.
“It’s exciting to think we’re within reach of laying the foundation for a school that will be part of our community for generations,” School Board President Carolyn Sicher said.
The Eddy Foundation and the Lakeside’s board have agreed on a purchase price of $260,000, the release said.
The campaign is working to raise $500,000 to ensure a substantial reserve for capital improvements and maintenance.
“We’ve already raised $220,000 from friends, parents, grandparents, and community members, with more pledges already on the way,” Sicher said.
Among committed funds is a $25,000 grant from the Cloudsplitter Foundation.
Looking beyond the buildings and grounds, Lakeside is also looking to add 143 acres of Wild Forest that the Eddy Foundation would maintain as a wildlife preservation with long-term use agreement Lakeside School programs. […]
“The school sees the capital campaign to purchase Black Kettle Farm as an opportunity for the surrounding community to invest in the nurturing of its most precious resource – the lives of its children.”
To learn more about the Capital Campaign visit: www.lakesideschoolinessex.org/capitalcampaign
Or call Lakeside School Administrator Maeve Taylor at (518) 963-7385.
