Woodlawn Head of School Angela McKenzie stands near a new classroom building.

The Woodlawn School recently finished a $1.1 million campus expansion that will allow the school to continue to grow and add more programs.

Woodlawn’s enrollment increased from 148 to 180 students this school year, Head of School Angela McKenzie said. While school officials aim to stay within a maximum of 350 to 400 students, the school is currently in a growth mode.

Last school year, Woodlawn launched a $1.1 million capital campaign to pay for two new buildings and to conduct renovations to the existing campus. Lawrence Group of Davidson was the architect on the project. The new buildings are now complete.

Students, staff, and parents recently celebrated the opening of The Lodge, a new multipurpose building that can be used for dance classes, meetings, portfolio viewings, and music rehearsals. The building also features a kitchen that can be used for cooking classes.

“We are very excited to have it finished,” said Dwayne Bowman, Woodlawn School founder and parent. “We needed the classroom space because we’re expanding.”

Adams

Last week, senior Alexa Adams, 17, displayed her photography project in the new building. Alexa, the daughter of David and Monica Adams of Davidson, worked with students in the younger grades to document the progress on the new buildings through photography. She also took pictures of the students as they worked. Alexa’s photos and the photos by the younger students were displayed in The Lodge for visitors to view last week.

The $1.1 million expansion also includes a new classroom building featuring two art rooms and space for middle school classes and electives.

“We had one art room before,” Ms. McKenzie said. “Our art program is so dynamic that we just needed to dedicate more space to it.”

An outdoor fireplace and patio with tables and chairs sits between the two new buildings. Students already use that area to eat lunch outdoors. The outdoor fireplace will be used for various events, Ms. McKenzie said.

The Lodge is a new multipurpose building on the Woodlawn campus.

The renovations also involved lowering the soccer field by six feet and creating a stone amphitheater for seating near the field. Woodlawn students and staff now refer to that area as the campus “quad.”

Woodlawn School started nine years ago with grades four through seven and has added grades over the years. Last year, the school celebrated its first two graduates. The school added a kindergarten class this fall and goes all the way through 12th grade.

Ms. McKenzie told DavidsonNews.net that there is room to continue expanding the campus for future growth. “We sit on 61 acres, so as we grow and the demand is there, we’ll continue to add to the campus.”

Woodlawn’s last renovation was completed in the fall or 2008. The school raised $2.4 million to add the Red Barn gymnasium and Woods Hall. The Red Barn hosts sports events and theater productions. Woods Hall is named after the late James Baker Woods III of Davidson and is used as an upper school classroom building.

Woodlawn School's Red Barn

Woodlawn’s Stinson Hall is the oldest building on campus. Built in 1836, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Woodlawn is located at N.C. 115 and Presbyterian Road, a mile north of Davidson College. To learn more about the private school, visit http://woodlawnschool.org.