Donation to fund renovations and create a lasting endowment at PC(USA) related school
Press Release
Jim Collie (center) presents a $1.5 million donation to Menaul School representatives. (Photo provided)
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico – Menaul School has much to celebrate in 2017. The day/boarding school, founded in 1896, recently received a $1.5 million gift from the Collie and Hill families, longtime supporters of the school.
“Given our desire to support excellence in education it makes perfect sense to support a school that provides wonderful educational opportunities for children. Menaul School provides life-changing education to many underserved children and we knew that the school didn’t have the extensive resources necessary to create an operating endowment and implement needed capital improvements. We are proud to create this legacy for Menaul School so it can continue its vital mission,” said Jim Collie, the representative of the Collie and Hill families.
Menaul School was founded by the Presbyterian Church in 1896, and although it is not run by the church today, the school has a relationship with PC(USA) through agreements and covenants with their General Assembly, Synod in Presbytery. Menaul School is one out of three schools in the country that receives donations, as one of PCUSA’s Racial Ethnic Schools and Colleges that benefits from the Christmas Joy Offering. Donor Jim Collie, who serves on the Board of Trustees of Menaul School, has a 20-year relationship with the school. Collie also has a direct relationship with the Presbyterian Church as a pastor, a former Executive Presbyter and as a retired Presbyterian pastor.
Since its inception, Menaul School has graduated more than 3,000 students. From the first graduating class in 1906, more than 90 percent of Menaul graduates have gone on to higher education. In more recent years, that number has increased to 98 percent. Menaul School is proud of its tradition of educating students in New Mexico. Today, it accepts students from all cultural, religious and socio-economic backgrounds. Fifty percent of students receive need-based financial assistance, and more than 70 percent are self-identified as belonging to racial-ethnic groups.
Jim Collie. (Photo provided)
The gift will help Menaul School continue its tradition of serving students of diverse backgrounds and supporting them through graduation and onto higher education by giving the school a stable long-term operating base from which to plan for the future. It will also serve as a catalyst to continue improving Menaul School’s beautiful and historic campus.
“Following a 121-year-long commitment to education, we now step forward together into a strong future,” said the Rev. Drew Henry, Menaul School board chair. The generosity of the donors will help move us toward our goal of creating a significant operating endowment for the school that will transform the lives of generations of Menaul School students to come.” The gift includes funds for the creation of an operating endowment as well as a capital-matching fund that will provide one-third the costs of capital improvements.
Along with the creation of the endowment, the gift will allow Menaul School to embark on capital improvement projects including:
- Remodeling the cafeteria, which provides chef-prepared healthy meals to boarding and day students
- Upgrading Allison Hall, home of Menaul School’s middle school science, religion and art classes
- Renovating Hart Cottage, which will be home to Menaul School’s new chaplain, the Rev. Takako Terino, who will live on campus
“This gift is a beautiful legacy which reflects the donors’ generational commitment to education. This gift will help accelerate our growth and quality of our transformational mission,” said Lindsey Gilbert, Head of School for Menaul School.
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Menaul School is a faith-based, independent, college preparatory day and boarding school for students in grades 6–12. A 501(c)(3) organization, Menaul School produces community leaders with a reputation for excellent values, ethics, and moral character since 1896.
2016 Menaul School Statistics
- Average class size: 12 students
- 99 percent graduation rate
- 50 percent of students receive need-based scholarships
- 22 percent international students from 12 different countries
Menaul School Mission Statement
In mind, body and spirit, our mission is to prepare students to succeed. Menaul School develops excellence, confidence and integrity and provides the foundation for life-long learning and ethical leadership.
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