Milton Hershey School to Expand Campus with 32 New Student Homes

The Legacy Campus will provide 300 new students a home at MHS

Milton Hershey School will officially begin construction on 32 new students homes on Monday, Oct. 24 The campus expansion is part of President Gurt’s 2020 Vision strategic goal to grow enrollment to 2,300 students in order to provide a life full of possibilities to more students.

“This historic growth is a milestone for the school as we grow to serve more children from lower income families,” said MHS President Pete Gurt ’85. “As a proud alumnus, I am grateful to lead the school and to continue to honor the mission that Milton and Catherine Hershey generously created to improve the lives of thousands of people.”

It has been our goal to expand so we can share the life-changing vision of the Hersheys with even more families. Our plan for measured, responsible growth will help us to serve 2,300 students. In 2015, we accelerated our timeline and enrolled our 2,000th student ahead of schedule.

The new student homes will be built adjacent to the 32 existing homes on the School’s newly named “Legacy Campus” in South Hanover Township. The name of each student home, which will house middle school students, will be historically significant. The Legacy Campus will honor and celebrate the individuals and places that played a significant role in the lives of Milton and Catherine Hershey and the development of the school.

“There was a unique opportunity to thank the individuals who put our mission into practice to change the lives of thousands of young people for the better through the Legacy Campus name,” said Gurt. “This name and others that will be introduced in the future will serve as reminders of the places that led to Milton Hershey’s accomplishments and the people who worked diligently to further the Hersheys’ vision and uphold their legacy.”

In September, Milton Hershey School welcomed more than 90 new students to campus during its most recent Enrollment Day. Their arrival marks a new peak enrollment of 2,018 students for the 2016-17 school year.

This growth also will allow the school to hire more teachers, houseparents and additional support staff. These family-sustaining jobs will add direct tax revenues to municipal government and contribute to the overall local economy. The project is planned to take about three years to complete.

Founded in 1909 by Milton and Catherine Hershey, Milton Hershey School began with four students who lived and attended class in the Homestead, the rural birthplace of Milton Hershey. Today, the school helps more than 2,000 students in pre-K through 12th grade from families of lower income realize their full potential by offering a top-notch education, state-of-the-art facilities, advanced technology, and hundreds of extracurricular activities.