Ross School Presents 2-Division Plan

EAST HAMPTON, NY — Ross School officials announced Monday that they have developed a comprehensive plan to optimize educational structure across two campuses, one in East Hampton and one in Bridgehampton.

According to school officials, nursery through Grade 6 will be located on the Butter Lane campus in Bridgehampton and Grades 7 to 12, on Goodfriend Drive in East Hampton.

"This strategic move aims to serve the developmental needs of children and young adults optimally," school officials said.

The decision to reorganize into two divisions stems from a "continuous effort to build on Ross's distinctive strengths, optimize resources, and enhance students' overall educational outcomes and experiences of excellence," school officials said. "With historical success operating in this configuration, the plan has garnered enthusiastic support from the board of trustees, faculty, and parents, who recognize its significant benefits for students."

School officials believe that organizing campuses into two divisions aligns with childhood and adolescent developmental stages. The other benefits of the structure, they added, include improved athletics, community engagement, and leadership opportunities; expanded teacher teams fostering multi-year relationships with students and families; strengthened curriculum cohesion and professional development; and ensuring facilities are tailored to match student development and long-term plans.

On the Butter Lane campus in Bridgehampton, where grades nursery through 6 will be located, the addition of Grades 5 and 6 will enhance academic skill development for the entire division, school administrators said.

Renovations and enhancements, including classrooms, science/STEAM lab, play spaces, and athletic facilities, are currently underway, as well as increased special leadership opportunities that build on the capabilities of 4th to 6th graders.

"Most importantly, Butter Lane will continue to be an age-appropriate setting fostering resilience and confidence," Ross School said.

The campus on Goodfriend Drive in East Hampton will see a special focus on the 7th grade program, "to instill academic skills foundations and preparation for success in the advanced curricula of Ross's upper school," Ross administrators said.

Adult team focus on student support and inspiration, student access to specialized, tech-infused STEAM lab, teaching spaces, and spaces for co-curricular programs will all be expanded and improved, they added.

"This unified campus community will better match Section XI athletics leagues and provide a more socially balanced academic advancement and personal development environment," Ross School said.

In past months, Tom Sturtevant, the Head of School, together with Mark Frankel, the Head of High School, and Bryan Rousseau-Rosenberg, the Head of Lower School, held a series of forums aimed at engaging parents from each grade level in discussions regarding the school's transition plan. The forums provided a platform for open dialogue, allowing parents to partner with the school leadership and offer suggestions and support, they said.

Each forum was tailored to parents' specific needs and interests within their respective grade levels. Sturtevant, Frankel, and Rousseau-Rosenberg facilitated the sessions, "ensuring all voices were heard and valued," Ross School said. "They presented the rationale behind the two-division optimization plan, highlighting its potential benefits for students' academic, social, and emotional development. Throughout the forums, parents had the opportunity to express their opinions and ask questions. Sturtevant and his team actively listened to the concerns raised by parents, taking note of their suggestions and considerations."

Based on feedback, the leadership team made the decision to grandfather in Grade 6 to the Goodfriend Drive campus and Grade 5 to the Butter Lane campus for the following academic year.

"The forums served as a testament to Ross School's commitment to transparency, inclusivity, and responsiveness to its community's needs, school officials said. "Ross School's strategic realignment into two divisions reflects a commitment to providing high-quality education and holistic student development. By optimizing resources and consolidating leadership, the plan ensures all Ross students thrive socially and academically, from the wonders of early childhood through the progressively more rigorous academics and advanced, college-level scholarship of the upper school."