The King School Campus Center

The Campus Center demonstrates King School’s belief that outstanding programs should be supported by facilities that both match and elevate their quality. By investing in purposefully designed spaces for research, innovation, collaboration, wellness, and community, King affirms that teaching and learning are central to everything we do. These spaces will inspire faculty to teach creatively and boldly, while signaling to students that their learning is valued and taken seriously, and worthy of investment, ensuring the campus fully reflects the strength, ambition, and excellence of the King School program.

The Campus Center is part of King School’s Campus Master Plan, a carefully designed roadmap guiding the long-term development of our campus. Following the success of the Early Childhood Center, this second major project continues the school’s commitment to providing facilities that match the quality of our programs, honor the talent and dedication of our faculty, and create inspiring spaces for our students.

The Campus Center will be built in front of and wrapping around the upper school gym toward the Middle School, facing Newfield Avenue. This placement establishes a prominent presence on campus while positioning the Campus Center at the heart of daily campus activity.

Construction begins March 9, with the most visible activity occurring after Spring Break. The Campus Center is scheduled to open in the fall of 2027, welcoming students into a space built for the future of learning.

The most noticeable phase of the project will take place between April and June 2026, when site preparation and structural work are underway. After that initial period, and especially by the time students return from summer break, construction activity will be more contained. 

We are pleased to partner with a construction team with extensive experience working on active school campuses. Our partners' background in educational environments means they understand the importance of safety, thoughtful scheduling, and maintaining the daily rhythm of school life.

Our school leadership, the construction team, and our academic departments are in regular communication to coordinate schedules carefully and minimize any potential disruptions. This work includes careful consideration of classroom placement, scheduling, and access or relocation to quieter spaces when appropriate. 

Our priority throughout this project will be to keep teaching, learning, and student well-being central to our plans and every decision we make.

We are in active communication with our construction manager, architects, and academic team to assess anticipated noise levels and identify the periods of greatest sensitivity during the school year, such as AP exams and other key testing windows. We will regularly reevaluate sound levels as construction progresses and use the quietest available classrooms and spaces when needed.

This project will not require major excavation, heavy rock drilling, or crushing, which further helps reduce the impact of noise.

With careful planning and close coordination, we are confident that we can successfully complete this exciting project while preserving the purposeful academic environment our students and faculty rely on each day.

The Upper School Gym will remain open for student use throughout construction, with a temporary entrance located on the north side of the building. Some locker rooms and athletic support spaces will be temporarily relocated, but all programs will continue uninterrupted. The Upper School's Fitness Center will be temporarily closed while we build a new and enhanced facility. The weight room located in the Lower School remains open. 

Yes, a small number of spaces will be temporarily relocated to accommodate construction, including:

• Athletic trainers will move to a space off the Upper School Library Learning Commons until June 2026
• Boys’ locker rooms will relocate to the Lower School Boys' Locker Room
• A temporary girls’ locker room will be constructed adjacent to the Upper School Library Learning Commons for use until June 2026

Graduation and other major school events will continue as planned. The graduation tent will remain in place, just as it has in previous years, ensuring that these important traditions are preserved without disruption.

There will be no changes to campus traffic patterns. Pedestrian movement will shift slightly, with a new fenced pathway on the north end of campus, adding a small amount of walking time for some. The Middle School side door will be closed for general use during construction.

Students will continue to park in the lots they are currently assigned to, while a temporary lot will be created on the southern portion of the grass athletic field for use by approximately 25 faculty and staff.

The Campus Center is designed to serve the entire King community. While its daily academic use will be anchored in the Upper School, it will also be a shared campus resource. Middle School students will have access to selected programs and spaces, including the Innovation Lab, expanding hands-on learning opportunities earlier in their King experience. For our younger students, the Campus Center represents something to grow toward. As they move through the grades, it becomes part of the academic arc.

This will also be a place where the community gathers for speaker events, admission programming, alumni visits, and school-wide celebrations.

Yes. The Campus Center is intentionally designed to serve as a welcoming hub for the entire King community. Its flexible gathering spaces will support large events such as community meetings, admission programming, alumni events, returning alumni celebrations, speaker series, and special school-wide gatherings. By providing a central, modern venue for connection and engagement, the Campus Center will strengthen relationships across generations and deepen involvement among current families, alumni, and prospective families alike.

The Campus Center has been intentionally designed to reflect King’s commitment to environmental stewardship, responsible investment, and an exceptional learning environment. It integrates sustainable construction practices, high-performance building systems, and smart technologies that reduce environmental impact while enhancing comfort, health, and long-term operational efficiency.