The Bush School
Giving
Annual Report 2023-2024
Annual Report 2022-2023

Annual Report 2021-2022

2021-2022 Annual Report

The Bush School is grateful to the 900+ members of our community who give their time, financial support, and talents to benefit the Bush community each year. Gratitude, The Bush School’s Annual Report, is a display of our thanks. The stories below highlight the impact of your generosity. Thank you, we could not do this important work without you!
We invite you to view secure lists of our contributors for the 2021-2022 school year.
 
 
Great care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of this report. If we have omitted or misspelled your name, or if you have any name, address or family information changes, please contact the Bush Development Office at development@bush.edu.

2021-2022 Administration & Board of Trustees

List of 2 items.

  • 2021-2022 Board of Trustees

    Executive Committee
    Steve Rosen ’84, President
    Lisa Carroll, President-Elect
    Irene Fisher, Vice President
    Atul Bali, Treasurer
    Chris Chickadel ’93, Secretary

    Board Members At Large
    Emily Alhadeff ’94
    Kevin Baker
    Steve Banks ’94
    Maneesh Batra ’90
    Craige Blackmore
    Steven Caplow
    Sergio Chin-Ley
    Amy Fernandes
    Maggie Finch
    Salone Habibuddin
    Allison Harr
    Patricia Hearn
    Karim Lessard ’89
    Kathy O’Kelley
    Julie Okerstrom
    Daniel Pak
    Ian Sands
    Jennifer Schorsch
    Quentin Streets
    Judi Yates

    Trustee Emerita
    Mary 'Sis' Pease ’41* (deceased) 

    Ex-Officio Board Members
    Percy L. Abram, Ph.D, Head of School
    Alison Behnke, Family Association President

    Faculty Board Representatives
    Catherine Hamblet, Lower School Fourth Grade Teacher; Lower School Chair
    Mike Jackson, Middle School Sixth Grade History Teacher
    Christine Miller, Upper School Math Teacher; Math Department Chair


  • 2021-2022 Senior Leadership Team

    Percy L. Abram, Ph.D. - Head of School
    Robin Bentley - Assistant Head for Finance and Operations 
    Leslie David - Executive Assistant to the Head of School
    Ethan Delavan - Director of Technology
    Jo Ito - Athletic Director
    Polly Fredlund - Assistant Head of School for Community Engagement
    Sharon Hurt - Director of Development and Strategic Initiatives
    José Leonor - Middle School Director
    Matthew Lai - Upper School Director
    Sarah Smith - Assistant Head of School for Academics
    Aliya Virani - Lower School Director
    Kimberlee Williams - Director of Intercultural Affairs
  • Letter from Head of School Letter from Head of School
    Dear Bush Community,

    Although it happens each year, saying goodbye to the Bush seniors leaves me with a sense of loss and hope. Our community loses exceptional students who have contributed so much to the school that will set off on a journey of reflection, inquiry, and self-discovery. One consolation is that as our graduates head out to places near and far we will welcome a new group of Kindergarten students, who enter with a sense of awe and possibility for what they will discover at Bush. These bookends complete a cycle of learning at Bush, and all that happens in between would not be possible without you.

    Last year, we saw a return to what we believed was normal, but was actually a new way of engaging with one another at Bush. We entered with more opportunities, less dread, and full confidence that those around us would help carry us through any storms we encountered along the way. We relied on another and found courage to carry on, build friendships, take risks, and persevere.

    In May, we opened a New Upper School Building (Upper School South) that allowed our students to spread out across the campus, nestle in among the trees, and break out of classrooms to collaborate and learn together in this exciting new space. This would not have been possible without the generous support of Bush families who invested in our students and the school to build learning environments that spark our students' imagination, just like dedicated teachers they work with each day.

    Last year, 334 volunteers gave of their time to ensure that our families could come together and that our faculty and staff felt valued and seen. You also gave in ways that allowed our faculty to connect more deeply with their students and inspire in them a love of learning. You also gave generously supported faculty professional development, students’ drama and athletics programs, robotics, and a host of engaging experiences across thirteen grades. The school was fortunate to finish the year with excess funds that we will invest in future student programming and support, faculty enrichment, and capital projects that will impact students next year and into the future.

    I continue to be humbled by this community’s capacity to support one another and to commit acts of courage in ways obvious and unseen. Thank you.

    Gratefully, 

    Percy L. Abram, Ph.D.
    Head of School
  • Letter from Board President Letter from Board President
    DEAR BUSH COMMUNITY, 

    Standing on the courtyard lawn during convocation, I found myself thinking a lot about the past, present, and future of our Bush community. As a student sitting on that same grass listening to inspirational speeches from 1972 to 1984, it never crossed my mind what level of care, involvement, and generosity it took from all of the parents and guardians to help the school not just survive but thrive. 

    Upon returning to the school with children of my own and serving on the Board of Trustees for ten years, I was truly awestruck by the commitment so many in our community made to ensure this place we love could act boldly and innovatively. Together, we created state-of-the-art spaces for our Upper School faculty and students and developed a new campus in the Methow Valley—and in doing so, we set a fresh path for the school’s continued evolution as a leader in experiential learning. Just next year, the fully restored Gracemont Alumni
    Hall will reopen, and new phases of growth will commence. 

    As current Board President Lisa Carroll welcomed our newest families this year, I found myself scanning the courtyard, looking at all of the new faces among the familiar ones and was comforted by the way the cycle continues. I felt deep gratitude for past generations and recent families that have given so much as well as joy for the new families who will no doubt take us into the future.  

    And to what end should we throw our energy into this school? So that when our students—our children—participate in the world they do so with a sense of purpose, empathy and joy in giving back through their own unique ways. It will always be about giving. 
     
    With gratitude,
     
    Steve Rosen ’84
    President, Board of Trustees

Stories of Philanthropy and Community

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Fiscal Year Perfomance

This year with your support, The Bush School raised a total of $4,062,903 in philanthropic support. This included $2,076,989 in support of annual operations (through the Annual Fund and Celebrate Bush), $151,897 in support of the endowment, and $1,834,017 of gifts and pledges in support of the New Upper School Building and Education Master Plan.
 
Total operating revenue for the year was $30,259,902 and came from tuition and fees, philanthropic support, auxiliary income, and income from the Endowment.
 
Total operating expenses for the year were $28,201,339 and included educational programs, compensation, financial aid, maintenance, technology, and fundraising.

The Bush Endowment

The endowment is an important part of the school’s overall fiscal year performance. Our donors’ commitment to the endowment supports the school’s vitality and solidifies their legacy with the school. 
The total value of the Bush endowment as of June 30, 2022 was $23,588,753. In the 2021-2022 fiscal year, the Board of Trustees elected to draw approximately 1.7% of the Endowment for a total of $411,000. They were able to make that decision based on the financial health of the school and the performance of the Endowment over the past three years. Recent market volatility, however, resulted in an approximately 11% decrease in the market value of the Endowment this year, which has been distributed by weighted average across all funds
within the portfolio.
The Board is watching the performance of the Endowment closely and working with our Fund Managers, Garde Capital, to ensure our long-term investment philosophy will help us weather positive and negative years. Thanks to ongoing support from donors, we continue to feel well positioned for the long term.

Learn More

Your Annual Fund Gifts in Action

Past Issues

The Bush School
The Bush School is an independent, coeducational day school located in Seattle, WA enrolling 735 students in grades K–12. The mission of The Bush School is to spark in students of diverse backgrounds and talents a passion for learning, accomplishment, and contribution to their communities

3400 East Harrison Street, Seattle WA 98112 (206) 322-7978
The Bush School does not discriminate in matters of employment, recruitment, admissions, or administration of any of its programs on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation. In addition, The Bush School does not discriminate in matters of employment on the basis of age or marital status
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