A Campus Built on a Strong Foundation

Marksmen returned this fall to a campus renewed by months of thoughtful investment, from upgraded classrooms to renovated facilities across every division. These improvements, and the financial discipline that made them possible, reflect the steadfast commitment to giving every student the resources and environment to thrive.

This summer’s work concluded a multi-year effort to modernize classrooms in Centennial Hall and the Robert K. Hoffman Center. An additional 18 classrooms received major technology updates, including new projectors and document cameras, bringing the total number of optimized classrooms to 41.

“The updated space has made a real difference for my classes,” said Isabel Cisneros, Upper School Spanish Teacher. “Removing the media cart gave us the room to move around freely, and the whiteboards get much more use now during our daily review. The new projector is also a big improvement. In the past, I had to turn off the lights to use it, but now my students can take clear notes with the lights on. It's made activities like vocabulary games much easier to run with more space to work with.”

In the Lower School, renovated bathrooms and nurses’ office are already in daily use, and new turf on the playground gives the youngest Marksmen an even better place to play. Elsewhere on campus, the Spencer Gym floor was refinished, and the Davis Hall Walk now features new pavers laid atop the original bricks, preserving a tangible piece of School history.

Renovations to the H. Ben Decherd Fine Arts Center are nearing completion, with new lighting, sound, and curtains, transforming both Decherd Auditorium and the Eamonn Lacey Black Box Theater. These upgrades will meaningfully extend the life of the building for current and future Marksmen. Students are already enjoying the new chairs installed in Decherd, which raised the seating capacity to 494 and, for the first time, allow the entire Upper School to fit comfortably in the space for assemblies. 

These improvements are visible across campus. Just as important, though less visible, is the financial foundation that makes improvements like these possible year after year.

The 2026 fiscal year closed on June 30 with remarkable results. The St. Mark’s Fund again reached new heights, raising $7,747,430 with 59 percent alumni participation and 80 percent parent participation. The operating budget outperformed projections, and the endowment grew 15 percent to cross $230 million for the first time, with the surplus directed toward increases in financial aid, technology infrastructure, and long-term reserves.

St. Mark’s invests significantly more resources per student than any other school in the southwest United States, while maintaining the lowest dependence on tuition among its peers. This combination is a testament to the School's mission and the community behind it.

“St. Mark’s is in a strong financial position, reflecting disciplined stewardship, thoughtful planning, and the continued support of our community,” said Summer Loveland, Chief Financial Officer. “This financial strength allows us to invest strategically in capital projects, campus improvements, and facility updates using available resources rather than taking on debt. Maintaining a financially secure position gives us the flexibility to address current campus needs while preserving our long-term financial health and ensuring that our resources remain focused on advancing the School’s mission in perpetuity.”

This approach is not new. Since the McDermott Green Building was dedicated in 1961, through the recent construction of the Zierk Athletic Center and nearly every major project in between, St. Mark’s has built without taking on debt. That discipline means capital improvements are funded in a way that does not detract from tuition affordability or teacher salaries, allowing the School to maintain campus facilities that are among the best in independent education. It is this same integral value of stewardship, sustained and strengthened across generations, that will continue to shape the campus Marksmen inherit for years to come.