Acquisition of a 1.66-hectare plot of land will help Nanaimo Christian School meet growing student numbers, the independent school says.
In a press release, school officials said they have purchased a property next to the current school site, at 198 Holland Rd., in a $1 million private sale. The parcel of land is an open “L-shaped” field, bordered by trees, with access from Jingle Pot and Holland roads, it said.
Student enrolment has nearly doubled in the past seven years, said the press release, with the school currently at capacity (670 students) and 725 students expected in September. Many grades have wait-lists, families are being turned away and the school is currently in talks to create student capacity, the press release said.
“The land purchase is an answer to six years of prayer that began when we first met the former land owner,” James Sijpheer, head principal, said in the press release. “This beautiful new property provides us with the opportunity to expand on our current site, a luxury not shared by many other Christian schools on the mainland, so we’re keenly aware of the value.”
Land usage will be determined through a process with the school board and stakeholders, Sijpheer said in the press release.
Nanaimo Christian School parents and the public can tour the land as open houses will be held Wednesday and Thursday (June 8-9) from 1-3 p.m.
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