Why is the school moving? Bannockburn’s current location is so wonderful.
Bannockburn School has been a Montessori school for almost 30 years; however, we do not own the current school building. Bannockburn recently purchased a second property at 2439 Bayview Avenue, adjacent to our 2441 Bayview Avenue property that was purchased over two years ago. Located at the Bridle Path and Bayview, the acquisition of these properties is the first step towards a permanent home for Bannockburn School to ensure continuity for years to come.
When do you expect to move?
We expect to be in our beautiful new state-of-the-art school – designed specifically to suit a Montessori approach to learning – in the next few years.
Why did the school choose Bayview Avenue? And how are you addressing traffic?
We chose Bayview Avenue for two reasons: proximity and availability. The Bayview property is reasonably close to the school’s current location and a good number of our families. With the current re-development of Bayview Avenue underway, there is also space for a school. Our planning consultants believe that Bayview is the most likely location to secure the necessary re-zoning for a school despite area traffic.
What about parking?
Bannockburn is working with its architect to make sure there is sufficient onsite parking. We are planning for underground parking, along with limited surface parking. For special occasions – like school assemblies and parent/teacher conferences – we anticipate making arrangements with neighbours to allow for additional parking. We have already reached out to several nearby locations with positive response.
Is my tuition going to increase to pay for this new building?
No, the school will not increase tuition to cover the cost of the new building. Full-day tuition typically increases each year, averaging 2-4 %, to cover increased expenditures, such as teacher’s salaries and benefits, in its operating budget.
We are embarking on a Capital Campaign with a goal of 16 million dollars to pay for the building of our new school. The excitement parents have expressed about the new school is wonderful and we look forward to a very successful campaign.