Preserving our historic home.
Expanding our campus.
Creating state of the art classrooms.
Sustaining Sacred Heart education.
A Bold Step Forward is a promise kept and a promise made.
For 135 years, Duchesne Academy was guided by the spiritual and physical presence of the Religious of the Sacred Heart. When the last RSCJ retired from Duchesne in 2016, the Society entrusted the school’s leadership, now entirely made up of lay people, to carry out the school’s mission.
“We commit ourselves to accompany you in this mission, finding new and creative ways to be present with you, having confidence that you will continue the mission of Sophie and Philippine with wisdom, energy and commitment,” Superior General Barbara Dawson, RSCJ, said during the Commissioning Mass.
Dawson’s words that day still guide Head of School Meg Brudney and her colleagues.
“We feel the weight of this responsibility but it is not a burden. It is a gift to be entrusted to care for this school, its history, and our wonderful students,” Brudney said.
With the support of trustees, parents, and friends of the school, the faculty and staff have advanced Duchesne’s reputation for academic excellence and the education of the whole person which has, in turn, attracted more students to Duchesne.
While the Academy’s growth in enrollment is an indicator of a strong school, it also presents challenges to maintain facilities utilized by hundreds of students daily, according to Rob Reed, who served on the Board of Trustees from 2016 until 2022.
“We need to stay relevant as a destination school. Whereas some folks go to the school that is closest to their neighborhood, we have some girls traveling from all corners of the metro area to take part in what we offer,” Reed said.
A Bold Step Forward is a new promise that Duchesne will remain a school of excellence for generations to come.
“A transformational campaign like this is now more important than ever and that is why we have undertaken it,” said Ron Quinn, former board chair.
ENDOWMENT
Sustaining Sacred Heart Education
The $9 million objective for the endowment will support tuition assistance and faculty/staff recruitment
and retention.
The Student Financial Aid Endowment is needed to keep tuition predictable and to support socio-economic diversity of the student body. Growing the endowment will support current financial aid costs of approximately $800,000 per year, or 15 percent of the tuition revenue. This will help the school realize its goal to be accessible to students from all areas of the Omaha metro.
The Faculty Salary and Benefit Endowment will be used to continue to attract and retain outstanding educators.
TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS
Pursuit of Excellence
A $3 million fund for technology innovation will be used for classroom improvements that benefit students and teachers. Inside reconfigured classrooms students will utilize modern classroom furniture that facilitates active participation in the learning process, interactive monitors in each room, and experience an increased use of technology. The fund will also support the enhancement of the STEAM Lab.
This phase of the campaign is already underway. Three classrooms were renovated and expanded in summer 2021 and now offer more space, modern furniture, and advanced teaching technology.
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT
Honoring History, Ready for the Future
This objective will involve both new construction and preservation of parts of our historic campus. When completed, these improvements will ensure the historic building and other campus facilities meet the educational, community, athletic, artistic, and spiritual needs of students.
These capital improvements, with an estimated total cost of $28 million, will facilitate the efficient movement of students throughout the entire campus as they attend class and participate in Duchesne’s many extracurricular activities.