On to the Future - 1980’s to Present

After an intensive search, the board chose Jeffrey Thompson as Mr. Bobbitt’s successor. Mr. Thompson had been a teacher and head of the science department at Saint Louis Country Day School before coming to Rossman. He was energetic and forceful and assumed his duties with enthusiasm. One of his first acts as Headmaster was to enroll Rossman in the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS). This was a step toward a more professional status for the school in relation to other independent schools. Two years later Rossman had its first ISACS evaluation. These evaluations are repeated every seven years and, rather than rating the schools, offer a means of self-evaluation, a vehicle to measure progress, and the benefit of knowledgeable, unbiased assessment.

Mr. Thompson left Rossman in 1982 after three years with the School. The Board chose Fred Schue as his successor. Mr. Schue, like Mr. Thompson, had been at Saint Louis Country Day School, where he was head of the lower school. Mr. Schue also remained at Rossman for three years, resigning in the summer of 1985 after suffering a heart attack in March of that year.

At the time of Mr. Schue’s resignation, Katherine Betz was Director of Admissions and, when Mr. Schue was incapacitated by poor health in the spring of 1985, she capably filled in as temporary head and liaison between the faculty and the Board. Since it was too late to organize a search for a new head for the 1985-1986 school year, Mrs. Betz agreed to serve as Interim Headmistress. During the following school year a search committee interviewed applicants, including Mrs. Betz, and concluded that she was their choice to suit the needs of the school. She was confirmed as Headmistress beginning in 1986.

At the time Mrs. Betz became Headmistess, the school needed some refurbishing. In fact, a plan to carpet most of the school, put up the fabric bulletin boards that line the halls, and remodel the kitchen had been funded by the Parents' Club and was already in progress. Overcrowding had been partly alleviated by the addition of two new classrooms in 1968 and the construction of the gymnasium in 1973.

The fundraising campaigns of the late 1980s and early 1990s allowed important remodeling and building additions to occur in 1990 and 1992. The main building was connected with the gymnasium from the east and the west, and a 13,000-square-foot addition for a Performing Arts Center and new classrooms (social studies, foreign language, art, music and extended day) significantly expanded the facilities. In the summer of 1993, the original building was extensively remodeled. A greenhouse was added, and a courtyard in the center of the school was completed. A Technology Center was established in 1994, and by 1996 the school was networked and the library collection was automated. Renovations to Junior Kindergarten, Senior Kindergarten and the locker rooms in the gymnasium occurred in 1997.

The largest capital campaign in the school’s history, A Vision of Excellence – the campaign for Rossman School, took place in 1998-2000. The campaign allowed the school to purchase 12 acres of property and proceed with comprehensive restructuring and remodeling of the school facility. Outdoor improvements included an Outdoor Activities Center, a four-lane track encircling an athletic field, a half-mile nature trail, a recess field and a playground. The original school building underwent comprehensive remodeling and 8,000 square feet of space was added. The goals that were accomplished included major increases in classroom space for Grades 1 through 4, new classrooms for Grades 5 and 6, updating of the Science Center with expansion of the greenhouse, and a new Media Center (technology center and library). A new entrance to the campus was created on the east side of the school's 19-acre site, and the front office was relocated to the east side of the building.

At the end of the 2002-2003 school year, Mrs. Betz retired, and following a nationwide search, Patricia A. Shipley, a Saint Louisan, was chosen to fill the leadership role of Head of School. Having been both a teacher and an administrator, she brought an extensive background in education and a visionary commitment to children's education and their character development.

Rossman School has continued to flourish under Mrs. Shipley's leadership with expansion and growth, particularly in the areas of curriculum, technology, professional development for faculty and financial sustainability. Also during her tenure the School has undergone an intense re-accreditation process, conducted by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS), and an extensive five-year strategic planning procedure, preparing the way for Rossman School as it looks toward its future.