Report from the Director
The 2003-04 school year will surely go down in history as a pivotal year in the evolution of The Putney School. In many ways the school has reached a level of maturity - financial, as well as educational - that will stand it in very good stead in the decades to come.
The outstanding event of the year, without a doubt, was the formal opening and dedication of the Michael S. Currier Center in April. While the school community had begun to use the new building immediately after the March break, the dedication weekend was the perfect occasion to remember Michael with his family present and to acknowledge and thank those many individuals - Trustees and donors - who had made the dream a reality. I estimate that it has been at least thirty years since Putney School folk began dreaming of an arts center. The dedication was accompanied by an exhibit in the art gallery featuring works by seventy-five alumni artists, a music and dance concert by Tim Merton's '68 Sarasa Ensemble, a concert by the Brattleboro Area Youth Orchestra that featured the world premiere of Peter Heller's '44 Putney Overture, and a screening of Tim Daly's '74 new film The Edge of America. It was a truly memorable weekend. The Currier Center not only provides an extraordinary home for the arts at Putney-one of the essential components of Putney's identity-but also provides the area with a state-of-the-art performance auditorium, a rare commodity in southern Vermont.
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 Brian Morgan |
The Building the Future campaign that has produced the Currier Center and the still-to-be-constructed Indoor Recreation Center is ongoing, and it has already gone far in securing the future of this school and its unique educational program. The campaign is progressing extremely well. The anonymous $1 million challenge grant of three years ago was successfully completed this year and was followed by two more $1 million gifts: from Gil Kerlin, father of three Putney students, Gil '53 & Jonathan '68 Kerlin and Sarah Gray Gund '60, and a pledge by two brothers, alumni of the classes of 1980 and 1981 in honor of their mother's many years of devoted Board service. While the Building the Future campaign is progressing, the future of Putney's Elm Lea Farm has been made secure by virtue of a magnificent $4 million commitment to endow the farm and $500,000 to address the farm's deferred maintenance. made by a member of the class of 1947 and his family. This extraordinary commitment represents the most significant gift in Putney's history and increases the school's endowed funds by more than one third!
The school has matured in other ways as well. We enroll 215 students each year as a matter of course. We balanced the budget again last year for the eighth consecutive year. While still in campaign mode, the Annual Fund increased 19% last year, finishing $43,000 over goal. Our student body is as gifted, individualistic, socially conscious, and self-confident as ever. Our faculty is first-rate and growing stronger each year, with turnover down to levels associated with the strongest boarding schools. Perhaps another sign of maturity is the fact that six children were born to our faculty community last year and another four are expected in the months to come. As our families grow we are reminded that, at its core, The Putney School thrives on the dedication of it's faculty and their respectful relationships with students. We must never lose sight of the imperatives of financial aid and faculty salaries that are appropriate to a national school such as Putney. So, while I am grateful to our alumni and friends who have helped make Putney such a vibrant community, I invite you to continue your generosity and to visit us often to see first-hand how your largess has helped your school enjoy a renaissance.
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