Community Day School Receives Major Gift For New Campus

December 2, 2020 – Sarasota

Hershorin Schiff Community Day School, a Sarasota-based private Jewish day school serving children of all faiths in preschool through eighth grade, has received a donation of $300,000 from an anonymous family foundation in support of its “Owning Our Future” campaign. The gift is designated for the gymnasium on the school’s new 8.8-acre campus – the former Suncoast School for Innovative Studies/Temple Baptist Church property at the corner of McIntosh and Wilkinson Roads; Community Day School plans to open at the new location for the 2021-2022 school year.

Campaign leadership, headed by co-chairs Rachel and Darren Saltzberg, report that the campaign has already brought in more than enough to purchase the property outright and get the school on its way to paying for construction on the site. The “Owning Our Future” effort has a goal of raising another $8.8 million over the property cost in a comprehensive campaign (addressing capital plus annual needs) that will unfold over the next five years.

“Even as the pandemic continues to impact organizations throughout the community, we are seeing incredible levels of excitement about what we are trying to achieve with our school philosophy and potential for expanded programming on our new site,” said Rachel Saltzberg. “Numerous significant gifts have affirmed that there is overwhelming support for our rigorous curriculum, purposeful pluralism, and record of success in developing lifelong learners who we believe will help to change the world.”

The gift was announced just as the school commenced using the gymnasium for its basketball program. The CDS Panthers cruised to a 40-5 victory over a homeschool team called The Heat.

One existing building on the campus was demolished in mid-October; construction on two school buildings – one for preschool and one for grades K-8 – and another building, which will include a media center and an art classroom, has commenced. The school will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for its new facilities in January.

Community Day School, which has attracted attention from communities across the country interested in learning more about its operations, is noted for its unique educational model that combines a global vision, religious and cultural diversity, project-based learning, small class sizes, service learning, and community partnerships.

For more about Community Day School or to learn how to get involved with the “Owning Our Future” campaign, go to communityday.org or call 941-552-2770.