Work has begun on Bishop Noland Episcopal Day School’s new south Lake Charles campus, with a groundbreaking on the 40-acre property off Graywood Parkway earlier this month.

The new campus will serve students in grades 7-12. The first phase of work calls for clearing 11 acres and building academic and enrichment classrooms; two Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math labs; commons areas; and a full-size competition gym.

The Rev. Frances “Boo” Kay, principal, said the school’s entrance will be tucked away behind 50 feet of trees. It will have a “park-like setting,” with gardens and a lake where students will be able to study environmental science.

Lisa Leubner, director of admissions and marketing, said the school’s current location is “landlocked for growth.” The expansion will allow the school to grow, advancing the vision of its founder, the late Violet Hardtner Howell.

Kay said Howell constantly spoke about her dream of having a high school at EDS since it was founded in 1953.

“So, as she got older, she reminded me more often,” Kay said.

The high school’s curriculum will give students a “personalized education based on their interests, abilities and aptitudes,” Kay said.

“It’s going to be different,” she said.

Leubner said students will also have more preparation for life after graduation.

“Most kids spend maybe 15 minutes with a guidance counselor before their junior or senior year, but we’re going to start from the very beginning,” she said.

Phase one is scheduled to be completed in December 2019. Ninth-grade students will move to the south campus in January 2020, and the school will add a new grade level each year.

A ceremonial groundbreaking will be held Oct. 9 at the Graywood location.

For more information, or to donate toward the “Advancing the Vision Campaign,” email Allison Schnake, director of advancement, at aschnake@episcopaldayschool.org .