Shortly after students return to school in August, North Valley Christian Academy will begin prepping for its next big milestone: A campus expansion to house grades 9–12.
The private Christian academy along 27th Drive in North Phoenix plans to break ground in September on a new 13,700-square-foot high school on the north end of the existing parking lot on its current campus, said Chris Schoenleb, head of school.
The school’s parking lot will move to the vacant site the academy owns directly north of Westland Road along 27th Drive. It will become a permanent gated lot when construction is complete prior to the start of school in fall of 2023, Schoenleb said.
Building plans include a STEM lab, science lab, theater, lecture halls and classrooms.
While an expansion has always been part of the plan, initial plans called for construction of a separate pre-school building, however Schoenleb told Valley Vibe the academy experienced a rapid growth spurt over the last two years in the lower grades, prompting the need to add an additional classroom for each grade level.
The school which opened in its new location in 2017 has grown from 350 students to 600 enrolled for fall 2022.
Traffic Control
Addressing traffic concerns from the community along North Valley Parkway, Schoenleb told Valley Vibe NVCA will implement staggered start/end times for its preschool, K-8, and 9-12 grade students when school resumes Aug. 10. In addition, NVCA will be bringing in off-duty police officers to direct traffic in the afternoons to help ease the congestion.