Our Campus

Main Entrance

The main entrance to The Episcopal School of Dallas sits on the south side of Merrell Road.

Our campus has been outfitted with the latest security technology, including a license plate reader at the main entrance, to ensure the safety of everyone within our gates.

As you drive through our main entrance gate, you'll be greeted by one of our many friendly campus security officers at the guard booth.

Our campus security officers, like Nippy Jones pictured here, are considered part of the ESD family and keep us safe on a daily basis.

The building you see as you come through our main entrance is one of the oldest parts of ESD's Merrell Road campus.

This building, which houses the Gill Library, senior hall, middle and upper school pods, and a large study commons, was built in 1979, and its outer facade has been kept in tact.

Gill Library

The Gill Library, housed in the oldest part of our campus and built in 1986, was the first fully-automated library at a local independent school.

This library serves our middle and upper school students, and in addition to fully stocked shelves of books, it also includes technology labs, a "brain break" corner, several study alcoves, a fireplace, and a beautiful view of ESD's Quarry.

The Middle School Library program extends beyond the walls of the Gill Library by creating a dynamic program that is founded on building student relationships; we foster a love of reading, help students develop the necessary skills to be an informed digital citizen in the 21st century and ensure equitable access in both our print and digital collections.

Quarry

The Quarry is a unique part of ESD's campus and has been treasured by students and faculty alike over the decades.

In addition to bringing a beautiful element of nature to our school campus, it provides many opportunities for our students for Outdoor Education, relaxation, and even outdoor chapel services.

This past spring, AP Physics classes took on a challenge to create a raft out of recyclable materials that could hold a student's weight as it was rowed across the Quarry.

This exciting event brought out many spectators as we watched the AP Physics classes compete for the win!

One of ESD's fun campus secrets? We have an outdoor chapel!

The outdoor chapel was originally constructed in 1985 as a Boy Scout project by ESD student Kirk Kibler '86. The chapel was recently renovated in the spring of 2019 by another ESD student, Thomas Fricke '19, as his Eagle Scout project.

Our Quarry is stocked with fish like bass, catfish, and sun perch, allowing students to throw out a line before or after school...or even on their lunch break!

In addition to the fish, the Quarry is home to many different species that allow our science classes to get an up close look at the animals that live on our campus and the ecosystem in which they thrive.

Whether it's a few minutes of fresh air between classes or a relaxing study hall spent outside, the Quarry provides a peaceful environment for students to regroup outside of the traditional classroom setting.

School House

The School House is home to middle and upper school classrooms, offices, learning and teaching spaces, and our study commons. This building is one of the oldest parts of our campus and remains the heart of the school today.

ESD's small grade and class sizes contribute to a hands-on learning experience with personalized attention and care from faculty.

Middle school averages about 80-85 students per grade, while upper school averages about 110. These smaller grade sizes allow for classrooms to have a student:teacher ratio of 7:1.

Many upper school classrooms contain Harkness tables rather than traditional desks. These tables facilitate community and discussion and provide a more engaged experience for our students.

This classroom structure further supports the ideals of our Founder, Father Swann, ensuring that every ESD student feels equal and included.

Between a rotating schedule and personal lockers, our middle school students are taught the importance of independence and responsibility.

At the heart of the School House is the Study Commons. This large open space, which leads to the middle school "pods" and upper school classrooms and has a large fireplace, provides a comfortable gathering place for students and faculty alike.

Whether students want to study for their next test or just relax with their friends between classes, the Study Commons is the place to be.

Formal Courtyard and Pavilion

The Formal Courtyard and Pavilion sits between our School House building and the Gail B. and Dan W. Cook, III, Math and Science Computer Building.

Every day, this small courtyard is buzzing with life each passing period as students make their way from class to class.

The Formal Courtyard and Pavilion is much more than a just highly trafficked area during passing periods.

This space hosts some of our long-standing traditions on campus, like the first Senior/Fifth-Grade Buddy event of the year! Each year, seniors are paired with a fifth-grade buddy and this lunch, held under the Pavilion, is the first time they get to meet one another.

Though its main focal point may be the large fountain at its center, our Formal Courtyard and Pavilion is also home to several pocket parks.

These small spaces throughout the Courtyard, which consist of garden landscaping, benches, and lighting, provide a quiet place surrounded by nature for anyone passing through.

Gail B. and Dan W. Cook, III Math-Science-Computer Building

The Cook building is home to all of our middle and upper school STEM classes.

ESD has a robust offering of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics classes from grades 5-12. Beyond the base classes like biology and physics, upperclassmen have the option to take courses like forensic chemistry and human anatomy!

In addition to housing our many science and math labs, the Cook building is also home to our Middle School robotics classroom.

This program, open to seventh and eighth graders, teaches the fundamentals of robotic design and engineering. Students are then able to take that knowledge to local and regional robotics competitions.

Upper School science classes call the Cook Building home, and there is always a fun experiment happening in one of our many labs.

This chemistry class was looking at different gases when they have electricity pumped through them with spectroscopes. Electricity causes spectroscopes break apart the overall color (the red in this picture) into the various emission spectra emitted by the atom based upon its elemental identity.

Seventh and eighth graders also have classes and labs in the Cook Building. The focus of their curriculum ranges from physics and chemistry to earth and environmental sciences.

One of ESD's popular science electives is Culinary Chemistry, also known as Food Science. In this class, students get hands-on experience in the science of cooking.

From what causes meat's reaction to heat to the formula behind "pickling" (pictured here), students are able to learn in a fun and delicious way!

Stephen B. Swann Athletic and Wellness Center

The Stephen B. Swann Athletic and Wellness Center houses so much more than just ESD's athletic facilities. In addition to three gymnasiums and a state-of-the art weight room and workout facility, the Swann Center, as it's called for short, is home to the Business, Human Resources, Nurse's offices, as well as our Social and Emotional Wellness Counselors' offices.

The varsity boys basketball team is one of many that use the Competition Gym for their practices and games. ESD offers 16 sports for students in grades 7-12. Click here to learn more about ESD's Athletics and Wellness program.

The Competition Gym, the largest of the three gymnasiums ESD has to offer, is also where our upper school students gather for pep rallies throughout the school year.

When not hitting the field, gym, or water, our athletes train in our impressive weight room and workout facilities.

Whether it's off-season workouts or additional training to supplement practices, these facilities have seen their fair share of athletes, many of whom have gone on to play their sports at the collegiate level! 

Click here to check out our list of collegiate athletes and other athletic accomplishments.

ESD's older athletes aren't the only ones taking advantage of the Swann Center's athletic facilities.

Our lower school students have their daily PE classes in the Haggar Gymnasium, where they regularly play games like kickball and have scooter races.

Also located in the Swann Center is our very own campus store, the Eagles Nest. Offering items ranging from spirit wear and athletic gear to school supplies and snacks, this place is a one-stop shop.

And you can now order items from the Eagles Nest online! Check out their online shop here. Proceeds from the Eagles Nest are put towards ESD's Tuition Assistance programs.

Daryl Johnston Family Dining Common

Each day, students from grades 1-12 make their way to the Daryl Johnston Family Dining Commons when it's their turn for lunch.

The Dining Commons also holds two conference rooms that are used for Parent Association meetings, club gatherings, group discussion tables, and more.

ESD's kitchens are run by our fabulous and talented SAGE Dining team. Their smiling faces (and delicious food!) keep our students and faculty excited for lunch every day.

During lunch, every day in the middle school and twice a week in upper school, advisories sit together at the round tables in the Dining Commons.

The advisory system is a cornerstone of ESD. Advisories, comprised of eight to ten students each, play an important role in making each child at ESD feel known and accepted. Read more about our longstanding advisory program here.

Engineering, Robotics, and Fabrication Laboratory

The Engineering, Robotics, and Fabrication Laboratory, or the "Fab Lab" for short, is a hub for scientific creation.

ESD's upper school robotics classes cover the electro-mechanical and programming side of robotics, with an option to pursue a variety of engineering degrees as an upperclassman based on their interest.

ESD's robotics and engineering courses go beyond the technical aspects of these disciplines. Students learn real-world skills like effective teamwork, creative problem-solving, and clear communication that will ultimately help them long after they leave the lab.

These courses offer students the opportunity to take on real-life projects, like designing and building a security robot for our campus security team to utilize.

ESD is also the only peer school to offer OSHA safety certifications and various industrial electronic certifications to its students.

Hydroponic Greenhouse and Laboratory

Beyond the Quarry and the Daryl Johnston Family Dining Commons lies ESD's Hydroponics Greenhouse and Laboratory. This area, which also includes a chicken coop and traditional gardens, was recently revamped in an effort to make our campus more sustainable.

A hydroponic greenhouse allows plants to be grown without the use of soil and is entirely water-based!

Our hydroponic greenhouse, the Hydroshed, features all of the components of a professional greenhouse on a smaller scale. 

We have the opportunity to grow fresh fruits and vegetables just steps from the Daryl Johnston Family Dining Commons. From swiss chard and basil to tomatoes and peppers, we are able to cultivate our own ingredients into SAGE's menus.

Fifth-grade science classes, in particular, take a hands-on approach in our chicken coops, gardens, and Hyrdoshed. These activities are incorporated into their classes and mirror topics they learn about in their curriculum.

This, according to our fifth-grade science teacher, is an effort to get students excited about science as they move on through middle and upper school.

Stoffel Commons

The green space that stretches from the front of All Saints Chapel, between the Lower School and the Stephen B. Swann Athletics and Wellness Center, is known as Stoffel Commons.

Pictured here is our One Campus One Community gathering from September 2019 to celebrate all three divisions finally uniting on one campus with the opening of our new Lower School building.

Stoffel Commons also houses two playgrounds, each designated for different ages in our Lower School, as well as gaga ball pits, a favorite pastime of our students.

In addition to seeing students walking to class or playing on our state-of-the-art playgrounds, you might even spot a mountain bike or two!

Mountain biking is a new PE offering for upper school students who don’t play a sport and the class uses Stoffel Commons as a makeshift mountain biking course.

All Saints Chapel

All Saints Chapel was built in 2005 and features many beautiful design elements that reflect our Episcopal Identity, like custom stained glass panels and memorial pews.

Students in all three divisions, from Pre-K through 12th grade, congregate in All Saints Chapel every day for services. Learn more about our Episcopal Identity 

Our chapel services, each tailored specifically to the age group it serves, uphold our Founding Tenet of Daily Worship.

In doing so, chapel is at the center of our community life, where our lives of faith can grow and we can celebrate the many traditions involved with being an ESD student.

In addition to our Daily Chapel services and our longer Eucharist service each Wednesday, All Saints Chapel plays an important role in many other aspects of student life.

All Saints is the place on campus where students gather for traditions like the yearly Code of Conduct signing and our newly established Pin It On ceremony, where ninth graders present a pin to fifth graders as a welcome to the middle school division.

One of many special traditions that take place in All Saints Chapel each year is the Senior Chapel Talks.

Members of the senior class share reflections with the rest of their upper school peers throughout the school year. These can range in topic from overcoming adversity to tales of perseverance, and sometimes are even accompanied by a musical element!

Susan M. Frank Center for Arts & Humanities

The Susan M. Frank Center for Arts and Humanities is where all of ESD's middle and upper school fine arts classes take place.

From performing and visual arts to film studies and music, there is an arts track for everyone. To get a glimpse into our robust Fine Arts program, click here.

The Frank Center's Bray Performance Hall is host to all of the live productions put on at ESD. The upper school theatre program typically puts on two large-scale productions per year, while the middle school will put on one musical production in the spring.

Two of our most recent upper school productions were a re-imagined steampunk version of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, pictured here, and the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

Our choir performs at many ESD traditions throughout the school year, like Lessons Carols and Pass It On, and even competes at the regional and state level with the Texas Private School Music Educators Association.

In addition to choir, students have the choice of participating in band or orchestra music classes.

In all mediums, our students have the opportunity to learn from some of the finest artists and teachers as they develop their skills. Some of the visual arts classes offered at ESD include painting, photography, drawing, ceramics, and sculpture.

Seniors have the opportunity to present the works they created in their more advanced art classes in an annual two-part AP Art Show.

The "Black Box" hosts a variety of middle school fine arts classes, including mime, improv, theatre, and more. These classes will put on small-scale productions every quarter, with parents and peers often invited to watch.

Lower School

Our Lower School building is home to Eagles from 3 years old (Beginner) through 4th grade. This building is the newest addition to our campus and finally achieved our Founder Stephen B. Swann's dream of uniting all ages of ESD students on one campus.

For more information on the Lower School, click here.

What if students could apply what they're learning in the classroom to something in the real world? This question was the basis for the lower school's design center, where students bring together imagination with math and science.

The design center is just one of many enrichment programs offered in the lower school. There is also a motor lab, multiple art classrooms, and a mobile library at our students' disposal.

This hand-crafted tree was designed by our AP Sculpture teacher and many of his students and installed prior to the building's grand opening. In addition to providing a special focal point for the first floor of the new building and an indoor play area for our youngest Eagles, the tree has also been incorporated into lesson plans and weekly activities.

All lower school grade levels' learning spaces are situated in neighborhoods like this one, with individual classrooms encircling large collaborative spaces. Each grade-level neighborhood is designed to meet the developmental needs of the students who learn in these spaces.

With a student:teacher ratio of 7:1, our lower school teachers are able to offer a personalized educational approach to each child.

The curriculum design is guided by the belief that active, hands-on experiences, emphasizing the relationships among disciplines, make learning most meaningful for young children.

Fresh air and outdoor exercise is an integral part of our lower schoolers daily schedule. Whether students want to play on one of our two state-of-the-art playgrounds or simply play a game of catch, they have plenty of options to get their bodies moving.

The outdoor tricycle track pictured here is just steps away from our youngest Eagles' classrooms and provides a great opportunity for brain breaks during the day.

Gene and Jerry Jones Family Stadium

The Gene Jerry Jones Family Stadium is the home field for many of our sports, community events, and even outdoor pep rallies!

From football and field hockey to lacrosse and soccer, this field hosts a lot of talented student-athletes during their practices, games, and more.

ESD held its first All School pep rally in the Jones Family Stadium last year, celebrating our Founder's vision of One Campus, One Community. All three divisions joined together for a fun pep rally to get geared up for Homecoming.

Our student-athletes are fortunate to work with some of the most experienced and enthusiastic coaches and trainers around. From fostering positive relationships on the field to completing coaching certifications and more off the field, our athletics staff is an integral part of ESD's curriculum.

Learn more on our Meet the Coaches page.

Founders' Field

Founders' Field, part of the overarching Troutt Athletic Fields, is located at the northwest corner of Midway and Merrell Road, just across the street from the Gene Jerry Jones Family Stadium.

Founders' Field hosts some of the practices and games of our field hockey and soccer teams.

Harrison Family Tennis Center

The Harrison Family Tennis Center hosts our girls and boys tennis teams. 

The interior of the Tennis Center acts as a satellite training room for many of our student-athletes, with six beautiful outdoor courts for our tennis teams' usage.

Eleven student-athletes have gone on to play tennis at the collegiate level after their time at ESD, and five of those have graduated in the last two years.

Students have gone on to play tennis at schools like Villanova, Johns Hopkins, and SMU. Learn more about our student-athletes' accomplishments here.

With just one boys team and one girls team, our tennis players get a significant amount of individualized practice time to help hone their skills.

Between both teams, ESD has won nine SPC championships in tennis.

Troutt Athletic Fields

The Troutt Athletic fields, located on the north side of Merrell Road and across the street from our main entrance, is an expansive area that includes a baseball diamond, softball fields, and additional fields used for middle school soccer and various upper school field sports.

The large neighboring field to the east, Founders' Field, is also part of the Troutt Athletic Fields and hosts additional sports.

Student Parking

The North Lot, which is comprised of senior parking (pictured here) and an additional lot in front of the Harrison Tennis Center has 269 available parking spots for our students.

Students are assigned parking spots at the beginning of each school year.

Seniors typically participate in an annual tradition of painting their assigned parking spaces before the start of their final school year at ESD.

This fun tradition sees many creative designs and gives seniors time to bond as a class prior to their Senior Class Retreat.

This parking lot in front of the Harrison Family Tennis Center makes up the rest of the North Lot and is typically utilized for non-senior students who may be driving, as well as visitors and bus parking.

Campus Security Officers regularly patrol through all gated parking areas to check for security issues, vehicle problems such as flat tires, and assist students with any issue they may encounter in the parking lot.