Welcome to The Stanley Clark School

Our Campus

Our beautiful 30-acre wooded campus, located on the south side of South Bend, Indiana, fills an entire city block. We are just minutes from downtown South Bend, the University of Notre Dame, and Memorial Hospital and only 90 miles from Chicago. 

Bernard Hall, the original Hoffman estate, sits at the heart of our campus and once housed the entire school. We have grown extensively through the years, including an addition to Fannin Hall in 2004 and Hiler Hall in 2015, featuring state-of-the-art classrooms and facilities. Most recently in 2023, we saw the addition of the Laura and Jack Boyd Smith, Jr. Performing Arts Center. This brick-and-mortar addition provides a beautiful, high-quality venue to support curriculum and programming and create appropriate space for school-wide assemblies, speakers, community engagement, and more.

Preschool and kindergarten classrooms are inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy – the only one of its kind in the region. Reggio classrooms are filled with items to explore, feature an abundance of natural light and materials, and include spaces designed for large and small group activities. Student classwork and artwork is thoughtfully displayed to demonstrate respect and inspire creativity.

Our Big Sky Exploration Lab and Decio Media Center (main library), equipped with a 3D printer and maker’s space, brings technology to the fingertips of students. Additional library spaces include the Tiger’s Den for middle school students and the Hammes Professional Library for faculty.

Athletic facilities include two soccer fields, two regulation-size basketball courts and a dance room. Two fully-fenced playgrounds, with equipment designed for various age levels, allow for ample outdoor recreation space.

History of The Stanley Clark School

In 1958, Professor and Mrs. L. Leon and Mollie Bernard opened the Cleland School, an independent tuition-supported school in a "little brown house" on Eddy Street in South Bend, Indiana. The school was named in honor of Mrs. Bernard's grandmother who was a teacher in North Carolina. In the first year, students were accepted for kindergarten and first grade.

As grades were added each year, Cleland moved into the Moose Lodge on Jefferson Boulevard and later onto the Fish Estate, also located on Jefferson. In 1963, the Board of Trustees purchased the Hoffman Estate at 3123 Miami Street and changed the name to The Stanley Clark School in honor of a prominent physician of the South Bend, Mishawaka and Elkhart areas. After the capital funds were raised, the necessary construction was completed, converting the estate into a school. Faculty and students moved in on November 9, 1965.

Mrs. Mollie Bernard served as head of school until 1963. She served as a lifetime trustee until her passing in July 2013. The main building is named Bernard Hall in honor of Mrs. Bernard and her husband, who was a University of Notre Dame faculty member, in recognition of the many years of devotion and service to the school.