Issue link: https://trevordayschool.uberflip.com/i/1529130
Eric Lindow was Assistant Headmaster for Operations at The Day School during the period of the acquisition of New Walden Lincoln School in 1990–1991. This article is based on the Board of Trustees meeting minutes and his personal recollections from that time.. In the spring of 1990, a select group representing various segments of what was then The Day School (TDS) spent a great deal of time working on a strategic plan for the school's future. The result of that process was unanimous agreement that the school would be best served by working to maintain and enhance its current structure as a highly regarded K–8 school. We would be best served by staying in the Church of the Heavenly Rest (CHR) and continuing to do what we did best. Yet, just a few months later, an unexpected opportunity precipitated a possibility for a much larger vision for the school. This article documents the incredible and complex timeline for the school's transformation. By September of 1991, Trevor was a vastly different institution from what was laid out in the above-cited strategic plan. It now had a high school housed, with grades 6–8, in a large building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and a significantly expanded N–5 program in CHR on the Upper East Side. How these changes occurred are a fascinating story and a testament to the TDS trustees of that era, who guided the school through the transition, led by Board President Cynthia Bing. The expansion of TDS was an extraordinary endeavor, highly complex and risky, with many moving parts, all of which had to succeed for it to work. The possibility of expansion was first raised in the board meeting of October 1990. At the end of what had been a quiet and productive session, Cynthia introduced some new business—in her words, "a very exciting opportunity that has been presented to the school." To summarize, the New Walden Lincoln school (hereafter NWL) was in an untenable financial situation and was "looking for a strong partner to take advantage of their assets, help them continue their tradition, continue to serve their existing families, and provide jobs for their faculty." How Trevor Added a High School by Eric Lindow, Upper School Computer Science Teacher and Mathematics Teacher, Senior Technology Advisor 80 / TREVOR MAGAZINE FALL 2024–25