Former Parent Donates $1 Million to Bosque School

Published January 16th, 2024 at 6:08 pm, Last Updated January 17th, 2024 at 12:34 pm

Parents and students beware: local schools may soon be scheduling more parent-teacher conferences. That’s because at least one of those meetings turned into a lifelong love of the school and a $1 million gift from a former parent.

Warren Hartman attended Bosque School, the private westside college preparatory school, from 2007-2014 but his mother, Jenny Plane, became so impressed with the school that she stayed in touch after his graduation and eventually joined the board of trustees. When her parents recently passed she thought back on hers and her son’s experience, and decided to make the large, unrestricted contribution from the inheritance.

“Throughout those seven years, Warren was energized by being in the bosque, by hands-on learning outdoors, and by creative and dedicated teachers, Plane wrote in an announcement shared with the school last week. “When Warren’s father and I came for a parent-teacher meeting in middle school, we were impressed by how well each teacher knew him, cared about his progress, and saw his potential.”

The gift was made possible by an inheritance from the estate of her parents, Bob and Mary Plane, according to the donor.

“My parents also became involved with Bosque School while Warren was here. Education was an important value for my parents, who met while they were both working at Cornell University in the early 1960s. They were big fans of Bosque School and even formed a Bosque School grandparents group, which grew into the tradition of Grandparents Day, and now, It Takes a Village Day.”

Bosque School is a prestigious college preparatory school located along the bosque on Albuquerque’s westside. Students participate in outdoor and hands-on education.

Dr. Jessie Barrie, head of school at Bosque, says the school has not yet identified a specific use for the funds and will launch a task force of school community members to make recommendations. The donation is the largest unrestricted donation ever received from an individual, the school says. The school boasts a 100% college acceptance rate, according to its website.