Seven Hills Breaks Ground on New Lower School

The Seven Hills School broke ground on the new Doherty Lotspeich Lower School. The new school will serve kindergarten through fifth grade, combining the existing Doherty Lower School and Lotspeich Lower School, starting in the 2027-28 school year.

“Breaking ground on the Doherty Lotspeich Lower School is a critical step in unifying our campus, culture, and community,” Head of School Matt Bolton said at the ceremony on April 2. 

Set back in the green and wooded north end of the Hillsdale Campus, the Lower School site will offer a “campus within a campus” for Seven Hills’ youngest learners. The building will feature bright classrooms with flexible furniture; specials rooms dedicated to science, Spanish, and the arts; a library with a patio; a dining hall with outdoor seating; common spaces; and outdoor learning spaces.

“The phenomenal building will be home to a premier Lower School program. One that brings together some of the best and most beloved aspects of Doherty and Lotspeich, combined with some of the most important new developments in the field of education,” Bolton said.

The new Lower School will be Seven Hills’ first LEED certified building. It was also designed with student input. Current Doherty and Lotspeich students, and architectural interns from the Seven Hills Upper School, met with architects from SHP to build model classrooms and articulate their hopes for the new building.

Board of Trustees Chair Lair Kennedy thanked former Head of School Chris Garten for his vision for a new Lower School, Bolton for his outstanding leadership, and the donors for their dedication to the future of Seven Hills.

“For many years, Lotspeich and Doherty have been incredible places, full of learning, friendship, and tradition. Today, we are bringing those two communities together into one new home,” Kennedy said. 

Lotspeich third grader Piper Gilligan and Doherty third grader Grant Cassady, who will be in the inaugural fifth grade class in the new building, spoke about their excitement at the ceremony. 

“Some of the things that excite me about coming together with Doherty are meeting new people, creating a large community, and being able to connect with teammates I have met through sports,” Piper said. 

Grant is excited about the increased numbers of students, making new friends, and getting to learn about the building’s solar panels in science class.

Seven Hills is partnering with SHP, HGC, and 39Foward on this project.