Severn School was founded in 1914 as a one-year preparatory program for boys who wanted to go to the Naval Academy. The boarding school gradually moved away from that mission to become a traditional, co-ed day school. It has 570 students in grades six through 12. Tuition is $19,500.
The athletic complex is part of the school's $42 million Centennial Campaign. By 2014, the school hopes to renovate its middle school, which is housed in aging Teel Hall; increase its endowment from $5.5 million to $20 million; and establish an environmental stewardship program.
Two years ago, the Edward A. St. John Foundation, which supports educational institutions, pledged $5 million to the fundraising campaign. The foundation is an affiliate of Baltimore-based St. John Properties Inc.
Environmental concerns have played a role in the construction projects. The school had to demolish the dining hall, Woods Hall, to be permitted to build the athletic center. The school was not allowed to cover more ground with impervious surfaces without freeing up other space, Headmaster Doug Lagarde said.
An old dormitory and an academic building were torn down to make way for the Robert E. McCleary Student Center in 1999 and Creeden Hall, a new upper school building, in 2001. The buildings cost a combined $10 million.
Teel Hall, named for the school's founders, was a dormitory until Severn became a day school in 1973. The rooms were joined to make classrooms, but the configuration made the rooms narrow and small. The renovations will modernize them, said Scott Jay, the owner's representative on the last four construction projects at the school.
Jay, an alumnus and former trustee, grew up across the street from Severn School. His two sons also attended. He said the new construction allows the school to install the latest wiring and technology.
"We're definitely prepared for the 21st century," he said.
