COAST EPISCOPAL FACELIFT BRINGS SMILES TO STAFF, STAKEHOLDERS AND STUDENTS
The last day of the 2022-2023 year at Coast Episcopal School in Long Beach was more hectic than usual. Not only were students and teachers packing up to prepare for summer break, it was “all hands on deck” as the school’s main building, which houses Transitional Kindergarten through Sixth Grade, was emptied in anticipation of the independent school’s first major renovation in 50 years.
According to Head of School Jake Winter, “When our students, faculty and staff begin school this coming August, they’ll walk into a new entry and be greeted with the comfort provided by a new central HVAC system. Every classroom will be freshly painted, all ceilings will boast new acoustic tiles and new lights will shine throughout the building. The school’s original lockers will be replaced with updated cubbies designed to store student personal belongings efficiently and add to the aesthetics of the building’s hallways.”
Winter explained that, in addition to the work being done this summer, the first step of the renovation took place in the spring of 2023, when a new phone system was installed that provides instant communication with each classroom and all of the school’s seven buildings: main building, gymnasium, Gail Keenan Art Center, Seemann Makerspace, Turtle Hall, Toddler Town (serving 18 months – three years) and Preschool (serving three and four year olds).
Conversations about the need for infrastructure improvements began two years ago, according to Winter. He recommended to the CES Board of Directors that an architectural firm be hired to create a master plan to identify and prioritize the wide range of improvements needed. Upon the Board’s approval, Watters Architecture of Pass Christian spent months reviewing faculty & staff surveys about usability and needs before creating the three year renovation plan.
“After digging into the campus’ 50 year history in Long Beach, comparing that to the faculty and staff surveys and our own observations of today’s campus, we made a tough recommendation that the most critical investment was to update the spaces that already exist. The main building has been largely untouched for decades, and the Board and Administration have made a bold decision to invest in the existing infrastructure. We believe that the building the children return to in August will be a clean backdrop to the discovery that happens within the walls of CES as well as an encouragement rather than a deterrent to prospective families visiting the school for the first time,” states Principle Architect Leah Watters.
Upon Watters’ completion of that plan, Winter and Evelina Burnett, CES Advancement Director, launched a Capital Campaign in the fall of 2022. Throughout the 2022-2023 school year, Winter and Burnett held “living room parties” with small groups of CES families and supporters to explain the need for infrastructure improvements and outline the plans for the school’s future.
“We are excited by the support of our community for these efforts to improve CES for future generations,” Burnett said. “The work this summer is just the beginning, and we are looking forward to sharing our vision and plans with even more CES friends and family over the coming months.”
The work currently being completed at CES is the first phase of a $2.5 million, three-year plan that, at its conclusion, will result in a contemporary and cohesive look that uses unifying elements on the exteriors of the main building, Gail Keenan Art Center and Seemann Makerspace. Windows throughout the campus buildings will be replaced, a bathroom and water fountain will be added to the school’s expansive playground, and the Toddler Town and Preschool buildings will have revamped parking, including ADA spaces. New landscaping and wayfinding signage will be added around the campus grounds.
Crane Builders of Waveland, MS is serving as the general contractor for the project’s first phase. Project Manager Chris Hansen states, “Crane Builders is honored to have the opportunity to be part of the capital improvements here at CES. Our children are starting their school careers here, and we couldn’t be happier that they will be able to take advantage of the facelifts Watters Architecture has designed for the school and that today’s administration and Board of Directors are moving forward.”
CES Board President Casey Funderburk is equally enthused about the school’s renovations. “The Coast Episcopal School Board is excited to support the much-needed renovations to the existing elementary school building. As the first of many exciting changes coming to CES, this initial phase of the capital campaign marks an important milestone for the growth and development of our children and the school. As our fundraising efforts continue, we hope the community will continue to support our growth as we move toward exciting new additions to the CES footprint.”
Coast Episcopal School is dedicated to a life-long love of learning by developing the whole child – mind, body and spirit – and providing a joyful, unique and nurturing Judeo-Christian Community that inspires its students to imagine and create a better world. Founded in 1950, CES is a member of the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS). For information: Coast Episcopal School, 5065 Espy Avenue, Long Beach, MS, 39560. 228-452-9442.
