Roeper Begins 70th Year With Big Plans, New Leadership

The Roeper School is turning 70 years old this year, and for the students, teachers and administrators there, this school year is going to be busier than ever.

Currently, the school for gifted students is knee-deep in a search for a new head of schools, in the planning stages of renovating its Birmingham location and close to opening the ’s new Children’s Library.

Interim Head of Schools Phil Deely is optimistic about what lies ahead.

"If I can say anything about Roeper going into its 70th year, it's our commitment to diversity, our emphasis on shared decision-making and our program for gifted students," he said.

Luckily for Roeper, Deely said enrollment has been steady this year — a good sign in an economy where private school tuition is often a low priority for families. Roeper enrolled 102 new students this year, bringing 2011-12 enrollment to around 550.

While the tuition increases nearly every year, Roeper spokeswoman Cari Hammers said the jump this year was minimal. Tuition for the 2011-12 school year is $22,250 for high school students, $20,600 for middle school students and around $18,000 for elementary-age students.

However, with 85 percent of the school’s revenue dependent on tuition, Deely said the school has been turning even more to its endowment to make up the difference between revenue and expenses. Currently, the school’s endowment stands between $5 million and $6 million. That’s a nice amount, Deely said; however, the school regularly spends close to $12 million per year — a large portion of which goes toward providing financial aid and paying the school’s nearly 100 teachers.

“The school is a major contributor to the economic vitality of the region,” Deely said. “Our contribution to this region is quite large.”

What can Roeper parents and students expect going into the new school year? A lot, said Deely:

Search continues for head of school

Though Deely is excited to be at Roeper, his tenure is temporary. to succeed seven-year head . Deely, a professional interim leader, said the search committee is interviewing candidates, and the school expects to announce its new head at the beginning of 2012. Deely, a 40-year educator who worked last in Stockbridge, MA, will be consulting with the school in addition to heading the team of directors from the Lower and Upper School campuses.

Re-envisioning the school’s strategic plan

The school is in the beginning stages of rewriting its strategic plan, Deely said. The process will take the Roeper Board of Trustees — comprising teachers, administrators and students — three years to complete and will be in effect until the 2015 school year. One the areas expected to undergo some major changes will be technology in the classroom. “We are looking to make some smart investments in technology,” Deely said.

Improving the former Adams School

Roeper’s Birmingham location — the former Adams School, now the home of the — will also receive a makeover in coming years. Deely said the building has been open since 1921 and in many ways is still firmly located in the 20th century. Plans include repairing the exterior brick beginning next summer, as well as replacing the roof and windows. The project reflects the school’s investment in the “bones” of its buildings, Deely said, as well an attempt to beautify the neighborhood.

“We really attempt to be good neighbors,” he said. “But we’re there for the long run, (and) we won’t forget the heritage of the building.”

Children’s Library to open in November

The Lower School soon will have a brand-new library for its students, as the Children’s Library is tentatively expected to open Nov. 8, Hammers said. The two-story library is a 2,706-square-foot addition to the Lower School's Community Center and will incorporate elements of the school’s existing library — such as a dugout reading circle popular among students, Hammers said — along with soaring ceilings and new shelves, desks and reading chairs.