Indian Springs Breaks Ground on New Community Commons

Indian Springs School hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking for the Kayser-Samford Community Commons on Friday, December 3. Speakers and participants included Board Chair Alan Engel ’73, Board member Jimmy Lewis ’75, Board member and lead donor Leo Kayser ’62, Head of School Scott Schamberger, and fall Mayor Andy Schwebel ’22.
 
The new building, which honors Leo Kayser’s generosity to this critical project, also honors his late classmate and former board member Frank Samford ’62. Several members of the Samford family attended the event, including his widow Sharon Samford.
 
“I wanted to do something because [Frank] put so much into the school, much more than I have,” said Leo Kayser ’62. “He should be recognized, and this is the way I did it. … I hope everyone enjoys the new facility. I have great confidence in the team that’s putting it together.”
 
Located on the former dining hall site, the new 12,000-square-feet Community Commons will contain indoor and outdoor seating for nearly 350 students and guests to gather and eat beside the lake. The facility will provide private dining and flex space for meetings and events. New serving stations will feature a variety of meal options prepared in a state-of-the-art kitchen. Students will also be able to enjoy the lakeside recreational area.
 
“Having a modern dining facility intentionally designed for our current and future needs will ensure that generations of students to come will enjoy the transformative experiences that our alumni share with me,” says Head of School Scott Schamberger. “I look forward to the Community Commons being the heart and soul of the campus just as the facility it is replacing has been.”
 
Construction has already begun and is scheduled to be complete by fall 2022. 
 
“Thank you to all of you who have given so generously,” said Alan Engel ’73. “Please know how appreciative Indian Springs is for your commitment to this project. We look forward to seeing you this time next year when we can all gather again to cut the ribbon.”
 
To learn more about the Community Commons project and capital campaign recently launched to support it, please go to indiansprings.org/communitycommons
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190 Woodward Drive, Indian Springs, Alabama 35124
Phone: 205.988.3350
Indian Springs School, an independent school recognized nationally as a leader in boarding and day education for grades 8-12, serves a talented and diverse student body and offers admission to qualified students regardless of race, gender, religion, national origin, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Located in Indian Springs, Alabama, just south of Birmingham, the school does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, national origin, ethnicity, or sexual orientation in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, or athletic and other school-administered programs.

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