Creating a Place for "We"
On the brink of our 30th anniversary, Veritas Academy has blossomed from a small startup renting space in a local church with about 20 students, to now serving over 400 preschool through 12th graders on our beautiful 11-acre campus.
We praise God for for the people He has brought to Veritas! Our exceptional community of families and faculty has been instrumental in forming the hearts and minds of a generation to be loving, serving, thinking young men and women.
But as our community has grown, so must our home. And while today's culture focuses on making a place for "me," Veritas realizes the importance of having a place for "we." Where WE - as a community committed to shaping lives for Christ - can continue to welcome students in. Where WE can all be together.
Learn together.
Play together.
Celebrate together.
And grow in Christ together.
More Than a Building
This capital campaign will not only provide much-needed classroom and gymnasium space; it will create a place for Veritas to be the "we" God calls us to be. We're building room for our people and programs to flourish.
And now, we're asking our community for the final $700,000 to help us reach our goal and make this project a reality!
Give or Make a Pledge Here
GIVE ONLINE
MAKE A PLEDGE
If you would like to donate by check, or you plan to make a donation that will be fulfilled at a later date (by May 31, 2026), you can make a pledge here.
All pledges made before May 15, 2025 will count toward our $700,000 goal!
VERITAS FAMILY
PARTICIPATION
We thought you may have a few questions.
Where will this expansion be situated?
This expansion project will connect to the northwestern edge of our existing gym (on the right end of our building, as you look from the front). Our existing gym will be converted into two classrooms, as well as a storage area and a corridor into the new gymnasium.
How is this campaign different from our Day of Generosity?
For the most part, our Day of Generosity supports our annual fund operations and programmatic costs, including but not limited to educational programs, the tuition gap (the delta between actual cost of education and revenue from tuition) and more. In the past we have used some Day of Generosity funds towards smaller renovation projects within our existing building, and for special items like purchasing our large school bus. We hope to continue providing for our regular annual fund and/or smaller special items & projects via our Day of Generosity each year.
By contrast, this capital campaign has been a long-range process conducted carefully over several years, and is focused on a large-scale opportunity to enlarge our building footprint via a significant construction addition.
How do I make a capital campaign pledge or gift?
First, prayerfully consider the most generous gift that the Lord is calling and enabling you to give to Veritas at this time. Contributions may be given as one-time gifts or pledged to be given in multiple installments through May 31, 2026.
If you would like to make a pledge, please complete the campaign pledge form.
Gifts can be made online on this page via debit/credit card or bank account, or directly to the Veritas office by cash or check. Please note “Capital Campaign” on the memo line of checks.
We are deeply grateful for every gift!
What other types of donations can be given?
Stocks, bonds, mutual funds can be given via our account with the National Christian Foundation. Also giftable are Qualified Charitable Contributions from IRAs (if over 72 years of age), appreciated real estate, and more. If you are interested in giving in one of these ways, please contact Randa Landis or Sarah Yacoviello to learn more.
When can my gift be given?
As soon as you are ready. You can opt to give all at once or in several installments that finish by May 31, 2026.
- Gifts can be made by check directly to the Veritas receptionist or mailed to the Veritas Development Office (address is 26 Hillcrest Avenue, Leola, PA 17540). Please indicate “Capital Campaign” in the memo line of checks.
- If you are ready to make an online gift via debit/credit card or bank account or to set up an online giving plan by installments, click here.
OR
- If you intend to give by May 31, 2026 but are not quite ready now, you can make a pledge via (this campaign pledge form) in the meantime. That pledge will count toward our goal thermometer and help us know what to expect. We will be careful not to double-count your gift once it arrives - instead, we will count it as a fulfillment of that pledged amount.
Can I give anonymously?
Yes. We will honor the wishes of any donor who would like to give anonymously.
Can donors “buy a brick” or otherwise be acknowledged in the new construction?
Other than from donors who wish to remain anonymous, gifts of $1,000 or more will be acknowledged on a donor recognition wall. Donors can choose to list either their name, their company or family's name, an "In Honor Of" name, or other acknowledgment. Alumni who list their graduation year in their pledge or gift can have their donation counted toward a class gift recognition on the donor wall (for example, if the class of 2010 receives a total of at least $1,000, then that class will have a plaque on the wall stating "The Class of 2010").
How can I keep updated on the campaign (or construction) progress?
This campaign webpage will be keeping track of our monetary progress, and once the construction begins, we will provide periodic updates and photos.
How long will this capital campaign last?
Our goal is to complete our campaign and have all funds committed by May 15, 2025!
What if I still have questions?
Please feel free to reach out to any member of our Veritas Development team:
Development Director Sarah Yacoviello
Why this project? Why now?
Every five years, the Veritas Academy Board of Governors and Administration develop a strategic plan to guide the next five years. In 2022, our Strategic Plan included a facility component, and we have been working with experts to develop a path toward expansion that is fiscally responsible, feasible, and meets our current and future needs.
God has blessed Veritas with exceptional growth, especially in recent years. We no longer have a space large enough in our building where our entire school can meet together. We are currently required to rent gyms across the county because our gym is not regulation-sized and cannot accommodate official competition. We’ve converted non-traditional spaces into classrooms to accommodate our growing student body, and still need more rooms in both our grammar and secondary levels to maintain our desired small class sizes. For all of these reasons, now is the time for this particular expansion.
When will construction begin?
Sitework and construction can begin shortly after the overall monetary goal is met and permits are obtained. We anticipate that sitework could begin as early as the fall of 2025 (if this capital campaign goal is reached by our goal of May 15, 2025) with the goal of completion by the fall of 2026. As with all capital campaigns and construction projects, timelines are subject to change pending circumstances.
We appreciate your support!
How We Got Here: Our History
Veritas started in St. Thomas Episcopal Church on Oregon Pike in 1996. When Mr. Fischer arrived in year two, we had 26 students and were writing our own curriculum (a curriculum that is now used across the country and around the world.)
We moved from St. Thomas to our current building, and for many years leased a portion of the building from Upper Leacock Township, reaching an enrollment of 200 students in 2012.
Veritas has grown especially quickly over the last five years, due to the grace of God and the hard work of our faculty. In 2021, because of God’s kindness and the generosity of our donors, Veritas was able to purchase our facility and its 11-acre property. What a celebration we had of God’s amazing provision!
Since then, we've transformed our building – adding a new HVAC system, creating new classrooms, and renovating spaces – believing that this would give us five or six years before needing more space. God had other plans. Enrollment has surged, and we've found ourselves converting nontraditional spaces into classrooms to accommodate the number of students we have.
Through it all, Veritas has maintained our adherence to the classical Christian model and traditions families have grown to love. We look forward to seeing where God will take us in the coming decades!
