Gaston Christian moves ahead with Shelby campus
A Shelby church has become the new home of a private religious school.
Gaston Christian School will be creating a satellite campus for elementary school students in the family life center at Elizabeth Baptist Church.
“It is going to be a 4 year old through fourth grade and as we establish ourselves in the community, we can grow a little bit. It will never be a large school, just a satellite campus,” said Marc Stout, head of Gaston Christian School, at a recent meeting of Shelby City Council.
During that meeting the council unanimously approved a rezoning request by the school for the Elizabeth Baptist Church property on North Post Road. The rezoning eliminates the need for a 300-foot setback from the school to any adjoining property lines, something required when building a new school.
“There are no structures being built here. They are using the existing structure at Elizabeth Baptist Church,” said Walt Scharer, planning and zoning director for Shelby.
Gaston Christian currently serves more than 1,000 students on its main campus and, according to Stout, has an extensive wait list. The school began exploring a satellite campus in Shelby earlier this year as a way to alleviate some of the wait for families interested in attending the school.
More: Gaston Christian looks to open Shelby campus
The elementary campus will have room for about 80 students.
“There are 20 to 30 students coming to us from Shelby every day,” said Stout during the meeting. “We will eventually buy our own property or something like that.”
Dustin George can be reached at 704-669-3337 or Dustin.George@Shelbyar.com.
This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: Gaston Christian expanding to Shelby
