FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
January 28, 2009
Growth at Fork
Union Military Academy Continues
Fork Union, VA -
With the economy slumping and credit markets crunching, many private boarding
schools are worrying about dwindling enrollments and decreasing demand. With
the number of building permits issued and new construction starts sinking to a
record low in December, many schools are delaying their capital projects and
rescheduling planned campus improvements during these lean times.
Not so at Fork
Union Military Academy.
The Academy's
enrollment at both its August 2008 and January 2009 entry points reached its
highest mark in four years, and the number of new students enrolled is the
highest in at least a decade. In addition, the schedule for the construction of
a new barracks facility for students has been moved up with its groundbreaking
expected in 2009, not 2010 as originally anticipated.
What is so
different in Fork Union, Virginia? Why is the Academy able to buck these
prevailing national trends? To hear the school's President, Lt. Gen. John E.
Jackson, Jr., tell it, the answer is simple. "This is the Lord's
school," says General Jackson, "and He is in the life-changing
business here."
Construction of
New Barracks to Begin in 2009
Officials at Fork
Union Military Academy announced on Wednesday, January 28, 2009 that the
funding required to begin construction of the school's new barracks facility
was in hand and the Barracks Campaign Cabinet voted to move ahead with the
building project at its meeting on January 22, 2009. The Academy's policies
generally require that at least half of the estimated total construction be in
hand prior to breaking ground on a capital project. The new barracks facility
is expected to cost approximately $20 million to construct. School officials
say that over $12 million is currently available to begin construction.
The Chairman of
the Barracks Campaign Cabinet, George Currin, explained that the Academy was
eager to move forward on this project. "In challenging times like these
it's easy to come up with reasons to put off construction of a new
barracks," said Currin, himself a FUMA alumnus, "but I look around
and I can see at least 500 reasons why now is the right time to build,"
referring to the number of cadets on the campus.
The Right Gift at
the Right Time
Planning for the
new barracks had begun at least three years ago when engineers determined that
the existing barracks buildings were not good candidates for additional
renovation. The school's Board of Trustees decided that a new barracks facility
would be built from scratch, replacing the existing Snead Hall and Memorial
Hall facilities, built in 1923 and 1941 respectively.
In September 2008
an initial fund-raising appeal was sent to the school's alumni and supporters
and contributions began arriving. A construction start date of 2010 or perhaps
2011 was hoped for depending on how well fund-raising efforts proceeded.
By December 2008,
with the nation's economy foundering, the barracks project seemed to hang in
limbo. Almost $2 million had been raised for the project so far but school
leaders were unsure whether to press forward or pull back. While the depressed
construction field meant that the time was right to build because contractors
were anxious for work, the depressed financial markets meant that contributions
to the school might be slower to arrive than needed.
It was at this
moment of uncertainty that a donor stepped forward, unexpectedly, to offer the
school almost precisely the amount of money needed to begin construction of the
barracks.
Jerry and Laura
Jacobson of Sugarcreek, Ohio had enrolled their two young sons in the Middle
School at Fork Union Military Academy in 2006. In the intervening
two-and-a-half years, the boys had done well and their parents were impressed
with the work of the Academy. When the Jacobsons learned that the Academy was
raising funds for a new barracks, they decided to help out -- with a gift of
$10.1 million.
This gift, the
largest single cash contribution to the Academy in its history, provided enough
funds on hand to accelerate the start date for construction. In appreciation
for this generous and timely support, the Academy has decided to name the new
barracks Jacobson Hall.
Jacobson Hall
Jacobson Hall
will be a three-story structure with 250 two-man rooms contained in five
separate "company wings," one for each company of the Upper School
Corps of Cadets. The building will offer about 100,000 square feet, almost
double the area of the current Snead Hall and Memorial Hall facilities
combined. The new barracks will occupy the area between Snead Hall and the
outdoor track. Once completed, both Snead Hall and Memorial Hall will be
removed.
Fund-Raising
Efforts Continue
In addition to
the cost of barracks construction, school officials estimate another $2.5
million will be needed for site preparation, barracks furnishings, and other
ancillary costs, bringing the total amount remaining to be raised to
approximately $10.5 million.
Many naming
opportunities still exist within the barracks project, and the Academy's
Development Office continues to seek new gifts, large and small, to complete
the funding for this project.
The school's most
recent Capital Campaign ended in July, 2007 and exceeded its $29 million goal
by about $4 million. Over $8.6 million of that money still remains to be
collected on pledges made by donors to that Capital Campaign, with some of
those pledges not due to be paid in full until 2017. Academy officials say that
if some of those donors are willing to accelerate their payment schedules on
those pledges, those capital gifts could be used in this building project.
The Leap of Faith
"Our school
is an anachronism in many ways," notes Academy President, General Jackson.
"We're all boys, military, Christian, located in rural Virginia. Yet for
as long as we've remained committed to our mission, we have continued to grow
and meet the needs of generations of young men for over 110 years."
"Some of
these young men may win trophies for high jumps and hurdles and other feats of
skill," Jackson continues, "but I'm most proud when we can
demonstrate to them the blessing and success that comes from taking the leap of
faith."
