$52 Million Campus Transformation Plan

OUR MISSION, OUR MOMENT

The Programmatic & Facilities Master Plan

$52 Million Campus Transformation

of Brother Rice High School

Brother Rice has formally announced the launch of a transformational master plan for campus, embarking upon the most defining chapter in the history of the school. Not since Brother Hueller and a band of pioneering Christian Brothers first stepped foot on Lahser Road has such desire been matched by such promise. Our mission is timeless and enduring, our moment is clarion and abiding.

Rooted in the identified goals articulated in the school’s strategic plan, today, we announce a $52M commitment to educational and program enhancements, facility and campus improvements. These priorities, described below, have been developed to assist the Board of Directors of Brother Rice in addressing long-standing challenges, affirm closely held beliefs, and prioritize strategic initiatives over the next decade that will be transformative to the future of Brother Rice High School.

We begin immediately with construction, now underway, of the new Center for Learning & Achievement, renovation and full refurbishment of the Varsity and Phys-ed Locker Rooms, furnishing of a new Faculty Commons, and structural enhancements to the school’s Engineering Lab. These projects mark the beginning of a multi-phase commitment to accentuating and differentiating our mission as Brother Rice High School. 

Our greatest resource is our people. Our students and teachers have proven this past year that they stand ready to innovate, respond, and deliver. Engaging the intellectual and philanthropic capacity of our alumni, parents, and parents of alumni – at levels unseen in our history – stands as the next threshold in our maturation as an institution. We look forward to that challenge, and opportunity, as it will define the future of Brother Rice High School for decades to come.

Our plans are ambitious not because our institutional and educational moment requires it, but because our legacy of excellence dictates it. Student-centered, responsive, and aspirational have been prisms of our prioritized thinking. Each of our programmatic and facility initiatives are animated by our central emphasis on three foundational aspects of the Brother Rice experience:

1.  Learning Excellence:  At the heart of the Brother Rice experience is the student learning experience infused by a responsive curriculum, modeled by exceptional teachers, and affirmed by extraordinary student achievement inside and beyond the classroom.

2. Brotherhood Experience:Central to the Brother Rice experience is the spirit of brotherhood that permeates the spiritual, social, educational and athletic experience of every student – a spirit infused in school activities and enrichment programs, witnessed in morning prayer and afternoon games, in the classroom, on the playing fields, and throughout campus life. Our commitment to the student experience is our testament to the very mission of Brother Rice High School.

3. Championship Athletics: In the pantheon of Michigan high school athletics over the last half-century, Brother Rice stands at the very apex with 75 state champion teams. Our sustained excellence has long obscured deferred athletic facility and game-day needs. We are committed to ensuring our campus and athletic facilities offer a distinctive portrayal of Brother Rice championship athletics for prospective students, student-athletes, and families.

The future of Brother Rice High School will be realized in great measure through the vested commitment and personal philanthropy of the extended Brother Rice community over the next decade. Collectively, our alumni have attained extraordinary personal and professional success, our parents and parents of alumni have yielded the great dividend of knowing Brother Rice has given their sons the great gift of limitless possibility and a purposeful life rooted in respect, integrity, character, and excellence.

Today each of us is called, individually, to a new standard of commitment defined not by the familial comforts of years past but by what is required now. This announcement is a sealed testament to our shared responsibility. At a time of great change and challenge in the educational landscape, at this defining moment in the history of the school, Brother Rice High School affirms its position in the marketplace as the preeminent all-boys Catholic high school in the state of Michigan and renews its commitment to be such for decades to come.

A Decade of Innovation, Transformation, and Progress

$42 Million in Campus Enhancements & Facility Improvements

$10 Million in Endowment Growth

1. Learning Excellence

Center for Learning & Achievement

Transformational to Brother Rice High School, the Center for Learning & Achievement will serve as a vibrant, interconnected hub for cross-disciplinary learning and an incubator for study skill and leadership skill development, innovative & entrepreneurial thinking, and character formation. 
 
It will be the academic hub for all students to be informed, educated, inspired, and motivated to make the most of their studies, their time, and their opportunities. They will be animated to learn and empowered to achieve setting the course for personal, educational and professional pursuits beyond Brother Rice, uniquely prepared to leave their mark on the world.
 
The Center for Learning & Achievement  will be foundational to the student learning experience throughout their tenure at Brother Rice High School as it will house four distinct Institutes programmatically aligned to live out the inspired ideals of our founding sixty years ago. 
 
Aligned by mission, yet differentiated in offering, each Institute within the Center for Learning & Achievement will offer unique instructional and experiential learning opportunities on and off campus, symposiums for faculty, seminars for parents, and guest lectures with affiliated corporate, civic, industry, and educational leaders from across the state of Michigan and the region.  

---

The Institute for Academic Success

The Institute for Academic Success will serve as a dynamic cross-disciplinary space for study skill formation, learning remediation, student & faculty collaboration, scholarly research, and accelerated academic pursuits. This Institute will be central to the learning experience for all students during their tenure at Brother Rice – the challenged learner to the gifted scholar. 
 
Designed as the mission-centered cornerstone of Brother Rice’s commitment to inclusive student learning & achievement, The Institute for Academic Success will be a vibrant academic space for students to discover their intellectual passions and deepen their educational pursuits.
 
The Institute for Academic Success is envisioned to host student presentations, alumni collaboratives, faculty seminars and symposiums, educational forums, and curriculum-based experiential learning opportunities linking student educational pursuits with successful Brother Rice alumni aligned by college or professional interest through mentor days, shadow days, and guest lecture programs on campus and throughout Detroit.

---

The Tim Manganello ’68 Institute for Leadership

The Tim Manganello ’68 Institute for Leadership will serve as a vibrant, cross-disciplinary, interconnected hub for student collaboration, teambuilding and leadership skill development. The Institute for Leadership will be central to the learning experience for students throughout their tenure at Brother Rice. 
 
The Tim Manganello ’68 Institute for Leadershipis envisioned to host a summer leadership program for middle-schoolers, peer leadership opportunities for seniors, seminars and symposiums for faculty, guest speaker programs, and curriculum-based learning opportunities on and off campus with affiliated corporate and civic leaders throughout metro-Detroit.    

---

The Tommy Woycik ’85 Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship

The Tommy Woycik ’85 Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship will serve as an inspired cross-disciplinary incubator for student ideation, creation and enterprise skill development. The Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship will be central to the student learning experience throughout their tenure at Brother Rice. 
 
The Tommy Woycik ’85 Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship is envisioned to host student and alumni collaboratives, faculty seminars and symposiums, entrepreneur forums, and curriculum-based experiential learning opportunities such as summer internships and mentor days with affiliated entrepreneurs throughout metro-Detroit.

---

The Michael Neus’80 Institute for Character & Citizenship

The Michael Neus ’80 Institute for Character & Citizenship will serve as an intellectual cross-disciplinary hub for programmatic offerings designed to engage thought leaders, civic leaders, alumni attorneys, public servants, and model citizens in the areas of ethics, civics, public debate, politics, and service.
 
The Michael Neus ’80 Institute for Character & Citizenship is designed particularly to form lasting life pillars that will be foundational throughout a graduate’s life.  By acclimating students in mediums of public discourse, debate, lectures, symposiums, service and mission immersion programs, it is the aspired goal of this Institute to form the minds and hearts of students at Brother Rice in their journey from boyhood to manhood – as sons, brothers, husbands, and future dads. It is envisioned through this inspired work, The Michael Neus’80 Institute for Character & Citizenship will be a catalyst for building a more just, respectful, and engaged citizenry in all facets of personal and professional pursuits.

---

Legacy Family Courtyard

Housed adjacent to the Center for Learning & Achievement and architecturally designed to be in symmetry with the programmatic offerings of each of the institutes within, this outdoor gathering and social space complete with multi-panel sliding glass doors, pergola and patio furniture, farm and pedestal tables, grassy enclaves and spacious decking, landscaping and lighting will be a signature space on campus. Intended to host large scale receptions and special events, alumni class reunions and parent gatherings, small group faculty meetings and personal conversations, this Legacy Courtyard will seamlessly complement the scope and scale of offerings hosted within the Center for Learning & Achievement while marking the evolution of Brother Rice High School’s endeavor to authentically engage stakeholders in meaningful and memorable ways.

---

Faculty & Staff Commons

Envisioned to be a respite away from the demands of classroom instruction, the newly designed Faculty Commons, under construction this summer, will serve as a valued space for curriculum research, faculty collaboration, or simple relaxation. Design elements are intended to provide a welcoming space so that faculty may gather, discuss, vision, plan, and rejuvenate.

---

Renovation of Old Monastery Hall

Dating to pre-Vatican II construction, Old Monastery Hall has long outlived its practical use for housing the modern-day operations of a school. What once served as the monastic residence of the Brothers has in recent decades housed school leadership, finance, enrollment, advancement, alumni, guidance and counseling offices. These traditional 8 x 6 “cells” minimally function as effective workspaces by today’s standards.  With expanded requirement for technology infrastructure and meeting space, the time had long passed to reimagine, design, and construct leadership and administrative office space to best serve the needs of school families. Plans call for a full rehabilitation of Old Monastery Hall to serve the needs of the 21st Century.

---

Atrium Entry & Bell Tower

Intended to stand not only as a testament to a proud history, but as a lasting tribute to an inspired future, we are committed to the construction of a signature atrium entry and an iconic bell tower. They are destined to be symbols of excellence to the community at-large who pass Brother Rice High School on Lahser Road or view the school from a distance in the glow of an evening light.  Each symbol will affirm our mission as a school of excellence, distinction, and high regard, setting the visual tone to attract and retain student scholars and student athletes alike.

---

Campus-wide Facility Infrastructure, Operational & Technological Improvements

The world has changed in sixty years. The mechanical, operational & facility infrastructure required six decades ago is no longer relevant and sustainable today. We are committed to a complete overhaul of school infrastructure so that Brother Rice’s energy and operational efficiencies are optimized across all segments of heating, ventilation, and cooling. Additionally, we are committed to replacing outdated boilers, upgrading campus-wide security systems, and retrofitting each classroom with consistent hardware and software configurations, equipment, and networks to provide equity to all learners and consistency in instructional technology methodologies across all educational spaces.

---

2. Brotherhood Experience

Brotherhood Commons

This signature enhancement to the Brother Rice campus will provide a lasting and transformative imprint upon the student experience, campus life, and the mission of Brother Rice High School for decades to come. Enclosed within a three-story cascading glass wall, this state-of-the-art student commons will serve as a community gathering and assembly space, recital & concert hall, a hub for campus ministry, student activity, and independent study, housing dining services and school spirit store, while serving as the interconnected gateway to Warrior athletics.

This multi-faceted expansion will address long deferred needs and improve student, family, and community access to campus and school facilities:

• Reimagined design of common spaces for students to meet, eat, study, play and bond.
• Replacement of existing cafeteria with a state-of-the-art dining services area that will house space for and cater to student, alumni, and parent gatherings, reunions, and special events.
• Integrated music and performing arts hall to expand opportunities for student musicians and artists to train, practice, and perform.
• New Student Entry complete with upgrades to parking, lighting, landscaping, and security

---

Chapel Refurbishment & Expansion

Foundational to the inspired history of Brother Rice High School as the sacred space primary to the ministry of the Brothers and central to the faith experience of students through the years, we are committed to redesigning and expanding the school Chapel so as to honor our spiritual legacy and Catholic identity as an Edmund Rice Christian Brother School. Although appreciated for its intimate surroundings, it has long been recognized that our school chapel is sized inadequately to serve the spiritual and liturgical experiences we aspire to at Brother Rice. Our plan to refurbish and expand the school chapel stands as a testament to our belief in a sacred space for prayer, adoration, communion, and fellowship.

---

Campus Beautification

Our campus serves as the welcoming first impression for prospective students, the front porch for admissions and enrollment efforts, and the gateway to school life. It sets the visual tone that attracts and retains student scholars and student athletes, who in turn define campus life and the spirit of brotherhood at Brother Rice.  Design plans call for significantly enhancing the exterior image and presence of the campus via newly designed landscaping, new plantings, improved lighting, replaced fencing, improved walkways, refreshed entryways, new signage, and repaving of parking lots.

---

3. Gymnasium Reconfiguration and Refurbishment

Game Day & Fan Experience

We are committed to enhancing the game-day experience at Fracassa Field and Ambrose Field for our student-athletes by improving the fan experience through newly designed seating, concessions, gathering spaces, picnic areas, and reconfigured gates and fencing – establishing a proud and distinctive portrayal of Brother Rice championship athletics for prospective students, student-athletes, and families.

---

Gymnasium Reconfiguration and Refurbishment

Designed for a time when Brother Rice had far fewer teams, available court time has long been in demand.   Through an architectural assessment integrating plans noted above, we are able to reconfigure the alignment of the varsity basketball court so as to provide two practice courts, a ceiling to floor divider and new bleachers within the same footprint.  As such, we are committed to a complete reconfiguration of the existing gymnasium complete with new courts, banners, seating, signage, and concessions.

---

Athletic Locker Rooms

Championship facilities reflect “a winning spirit” the moment you step foot in the locker room, on the court, or on the playing field. An aged locker room with outdated lockers and facilities reflective of a bygone era hinder the elements for competitive success – team building, coaching, fitness, training, focus and mental preparation. Construction is underway for complete refurbishment of the Varsity and Phys-ed Locker Rooms with new training rooms, athletic offices, and team meeting spaces equal to the highest ideals and defining legacy of Warrior Athletics.

---

Program and Endowment Aspirations

Commitment to Educational Excellence $8M

Endowed Fund for Teaching Excellence @ $2.5M
This permanently endowed fund will yield annual revenue to provide faculty professional development in innovative instruction and engaged learning, designated funds to invest in recruiting, forming and retaining top rated teachers, provide resources to support competitive salaries, improve stipends to affirm mission aligned excellence in coaching and moderating, create prioritized incentives for continuing education and specialized certifications.

Endowed Fund for Student Affordability and Distinction @ $2.5M
This permanently endowed fund will yield annual tuition assistance revenue in support of affordability & accessibility, equity & inclusion, excellence & distinction. 

Endowed Fund for Experiential Learning @ $1.5M
Designated to expand student experiential learning opportunities via local, regional, national and/or international competitions, conferences, programs and symposiums significantly enriching student learning opportunities across core subjects in math and science, foreign language, history, English, and theology, as well as in elective courses such as fine arts, business, engineering, architecture, journalism and law. 

Endowed Fund for Service Leadership @ $1.5M                                  
Designated to expand student immersion and mission service opportunities inside and beyond the Edmund Rice Network via mission trips, retreats, and service programs so as to deepen student understanding of and commitment to the Christian Brothers call “to stand in solidarity with those marginalized by poverty a

Instructional and Operational Technology $2M

Endowed Fund for Excellence in Educational Technology  – $2M
This permanently endowed fund will yield annual revenue to continuously meet the changes in educational technology providing resources for updates to classroom hardware, software configurations and integrated network systems school-wide for consistency in instructional technology across all educational spaces.  Additionally, these funds will support enhanced technologies in the area of cybersecurity and independent learning, as well as innovative curriculum in computing, coding and app design.

---

OUR MISSION, OUR MOMENT

The plans above are foundational to the future vitality of Brother Rice High School. It is the firm belief of the Board of Directors that these priorities will position Brother Rice with an educational offering, campus setting, student experience and athletic facility consonant with the highest ideals of the pioneering parents and Christian Brothers who founded Brother Rice High School six decades ago. 
 
We recognize these priorities and initiatives are ambitious, and that achieving them will involve sacrifice.  Today, we stand at another crossroad in the life of Brother Rice High School.  Ever grateful for a blessed history and confident of an even brighter future, we understand the strategic challenges we face. We also know that at every critical juncture Brother Rice alumni, parents, parents of alumni, grandparents and friends have heeded the call to leave their mark on the Brother Rice Experience for future generations. 
 
A Brother Rice education has always been a generational gift, received with the responsibility it bears.
 
We are now called to a singular purpose – to guarantee a Brother Rice education remains affordable, accessible, and excellent beyond compare.  Let it be said of us, we heeded the call in our time to ensure a Brother Rice education continued to be transformative, inspired and lasting for generations to come!

---

To indicate your interest in supporting Brother Rice at this defining moment,
please connect with President Tom Reidy at reidy@brrice.edu. 

---