It's nearly 50 years old now, and there have been some additions and face-lifts to Vernon Christian School (VCS).

Now, the private school in Vernon's north end is growing in numbers and growing its visionary future, which includes expansion plans.

Thanks to years of continuous growth, enrolment at VCS is close to full capacity. Student numbers have increased by 50 per cent over the past decade, and the school is now home to 470 Kindergarten-Grade 12 students.

New spaces for VCS will include a high school gymnasium, additional classrooms, as well as parking and traffic access off Pleasant Valley Road.

鈥淔ollowing a feasibility study and extensive long-range site planning, the school is preparing to make way for more students with a goal to break ground during the summer of 2025," said principal Matt Driediger.

The school society recently voted almost unanimously in favour of moving ahead with the project, which is called Make Way.

Funding will be done through a combination of mortgage financing and charitable donations, and a major capital campaign is currently underway to support Make Way.  

The project addresses key areas where the school is currently experiencing the most constraints.

The high school will finally have a dedicated gymnasium. The current elementary gym will serve the school鈥檚 K-6 students, and all students will have many added opportunities for physical health and fitness.

The Vernon Christian School Royals have sent a number of volleyball and basketball teams to Okanagan and provincial championships playing in a shoebox-sized gym without bleachers for an audience.

Additional classroom spaces will be added to continue delivering education to current and new students.

A traffic congestion solution is a much-needed addition, which is magnified during school pick-up and drop-off times.

These new spaces will serve the school well in the short to medium term. However, efforts are already underway to plan for the long term.

The process has included engineering this expansion to be able to accommodate future additions.

鈥淥ur grandparents founded the school back in the '70s," said Gregg Douma, VCS board chair and school alumnus. "Our parents expanded it. Now it鈥檚 up to us to look forward and give our children and grandchildren a place to learn and flourish for years to come."

There are numerous benefits to the North Okanagan community, said the school.

VCS has long been a space where community groups can gather through facility use agreements and special event rentals.

Currently, the school can only accommodate roughly 10 per cent of all rental requests.

Vehicle traffic along Pleasant Valley Road has gotten much busier due to the growth of the school and surrounding community. The school鈥檚 solution to address traffic congestion during drop-off and pick-up times will have major benefits on local traffic and for neighbouring properties.

Before that happens, approximately $1 million in additional fundraising needs to be reached. If you are interested in supporting this project or being a corporate sponsor, contact or visit .

Vernon Christian School was established in 1977 and also includes a three- and four-year-old preschool program.

With an alumni network numbering in the thousands, VCS has been a private-education staple in the North Okanagan community for nearly 50 years.