By James Feichtner
Traders Point Christian Academy officially broke ground May 15 on its newest addition: a $7.5 million high school facility. The school, which was founded by Traders Point Christian Church, currently shares the same facility for students in kindergarten through 12th grade, which TPCA Head of School Ron Evans said is at maximum capacity.
“It’s very, very tight, and the church has been gracious to open up parts of their building for us during the day, because we just don’t have enough room,” Evans said.
The new facility will be open for the 2017 school year at 6600 S. Indianapolis Road in Whitestown. The building is expected to accommodate an additional 160 high school students and will feature chapels, assembly halls and a student-run coffee shop.
Evans said the school system has seen continued growth over past years and the new building will provide the extra space needed for future growth.
“Our dream is that the first phase of this project, when it gets done, will easily accommodate 250 high school students,” Evans said. “We’re about 90 (students) in high school now. Right now it looks like we’ll be a little over 700 (students) from early childhood through grade 12 for next year. It’s not only about making room for the high school students but making more room for next year.”
Evans said the building will be the first of four planned buildings on the property and that the high school facility is the first step toward preparing for the expansion.
“It’s about making room for what the demand is, really,” Evans said. “Our hope would be that beyond this building, this property is planned for up to three additional buildings. So we’re dreaming big. This is the first phase of that, a $7.5 million campaign that we’re raising money for, and we’ve raised more than half of that already.”
Joining Evans at the groundbreaking ceremony was Indiana Gov. Mike Pence who congratulated TPCA for its efforts in investing in education.
“I’m truly grateful on behalf of the people of this state and of this community to be able to turn some soil today and celebrate this groundbreaking,” Pence said. “I want to commend the team at Trader’s Point Christian Schools. While there is a little ways to go, the partnership of members at TPCC is truly extraordinary and represents an incredible contribution to education in the state of Indiana.”
Whitestown Town Manager Dax Norton also commended TPCA for its continued efforts of expanding its school system in the town.
“On behalf of the town council members and the entire staff of the town, we are very thankful that the church and the school and the donors are making this investment in this school for this product to be in our town, in our county and in our region,” Norton said.
