The Next 50

In recognition of its half-century as an education leader in Virginia’s Blue Ridge, Community School’s Board of Trustees has launched a campaign to fortify the school’s future and meet its growing needs. The Next 50, a campaign to deepen our roots and cultivate our future, complements Community School’s 50th anniversary that culminated in the fall of 2021. The primary focus of the campaign is to build a new two-story structure to replace middle school classrooms, expand enrichment learning spaces, and house administrative offices.

Our new building will be an inviting presence that encourages new families to visit and says “welcome home” to our community. It will provide our middle school with an enlarged, collaborative learning environment, increased classroom size for enrichment classes and create areas to host events and programs throughout the year. This new building has been thoughtfully curated to represent our 50 years in Roanoke and to foster a Community School experience that is, as always, challenging, experiential and cooperative for all age levels.

The Next 50 Challenge

Help Write Community School’s Next Chapter

We’re almost there! We could not be prouder of the generosity of our community, which has come together to get us within striking distance of our most ambitious goal ever. To inspire us as we complete the final stretch, and in honor of former teacher and Executive Director Linda Roth, a private Roanoke foundation has committed $100,000 if we can secure $200,000 in pledges by December 31, 2024. We hope that you will consider making a commitment to our beloved School and meeting the challenge by pledging your support to The Next 50 campaign. You can make a pledge below or click here to donate. If you are interested in learning more about the project, recognition opportunities or other details, please reach out to Cassie at crhunt@wlu.edu.

Click here to read about the generous donation from the International Union of Elevator Constructors.

Maximize Your Support!

  • Leave a lasting impact on CS with naming opportunities beginning at $25,000
  • Use appreciated stock to avoid capital gains taxes
  • All gifts are fully tax deductible
  • Are you over 72? Use your required minimum distribution to make a direct gift tax-free
  • Multi-year payment schedules are available to allow you to make a larger impact

By clicking on the link above, you can begin supporting The Next 50 today! Complete the donation and pledge payment form to make a payment or initiate recurring payments on a pledge that may be paid by credit card via Paypal over the course of the next 3 years at intervals that suit your needs. 

There are many ways that you can support Community School and The Next 50. Learn more about ways to give by clicking on the link above.


For our entire community, the Board of Trustees is committed to beginning Community School’s next half-century with these facilities and resources serving as the foundation for our future. We look forward to sharing more updates with you as the project progresses. Read our frequently asked questions below or feel free to contact us at Development@communityschool.net with any additional questions about The Next 50.

The Next 50 FAQ

In the 50+ years since its founding in 1971, Community School has continually sought the best campus facilities to support its unique learning environment. Milestones in this effort include the establishment of our Hollins campus in 1975, the addition of our classroom building in 2006 and the completion of our activity building in 2014.

In 2016, after surveying our parents and students, and in consultation with architects and builders, CS developed a campus master plan,which identified a need for improved facilities for our enrichment offerings, administrative offices and our award-winning middle school program. 

While the 1930s “Boxwoods House”  and Carriage House have served our school well, it was determined that even with extensive renovation, they could not support the size and needs of our programs moving forward.  

Our Board of Trustees, working closely with Spectrum Design, has created a vision for our future that will support the next 50 years of Community School – and beyond.

The new building will be to the right of our driveway, behind our current school bus parking.  This space, in addition to suiting the new building, allows construction to proceed without disrupting any existing structures or programs.

The Boxwoods House and Carriage House will continue to host our offices and classrooms through construction; eventually, we anticipate that these buildings will be taken down and in their place CS will develop enhanced outdoor learning spaces that complement the rest of the campus and our hands-on learning curriculum. The middle school is looking forward to its own dedicated space for outdoor learning, recreation, and social gatherings.

The two modular units currently housing our middle school will be evaluated for future use after construction is complete.

Construction began in the fall of 2023. You can learn more about our groundbreaking ceremony here.

The Board of Trustees established a fundraising goal of $1.5M for construction of the new building. 

You can make a gift or pledge HERE, or to discuss a naming opportunity or larger commitment please reach out to the campaign chair, Cassie Hunt, at crhunt@wlu.edu.