News

GATES MILLS, Ohio — On the first day of the 2024-25 school year, Gilmour Academy students got a taste of their new dining accommodations. The school hosted a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony Monday (Aug. 19) before officially opening the new Howley Commons. The space serves as the campus’ dining hall for Middle and Upper School students and faculty. It more than doubles prior seating capacity. Howley Commons features a college-style layout, with enhanced dining options to meet students’ varying dietary needs. The space will also be used as a student gathering space, where they can meet with each other and/or their teachers.

“We are strong believers in the power of a high-quality education,” donor Nick Howley said in a school news release. “We believe such an education consists of a strong academic program combined with a significant commitment to character formation. Committed faculty and small class sizes also better allow for a close relationship with the faculty and coaches. Gilmour is unique in Northeast Ohio in offering such an educational opportunity. Two of our children attended Gilmour, and we couldn’t be happier with their experience,” he said. “The school has expanded significantly at all grades, but particularly the high school, where enrollment is up about 20 percent over the last few years. This new facility allows the larger community to more closely interact in the new and expanded Howley Commons.”

Head of School Kathy Kenny is grateful for the Howleys’ gift. “I cannot begin to express the gratitude we feel to the Howley family for this incredible gift to our Gilmour community,” Kenny said. “Our mission here is to educate the whole child, and that mission is fostered through the relationships built here, between students as well as between students and teachers. The Howley Commons will promote those relationships and sense of community that are so central to the Gilmour experience and will impact Gilmour students for decades to come,” she said. “We could not be more thankful for the Howleys’ extraordinary generosity.”