MISENHEIMER — The Gray Stone Day School is adding a facility to house sixth, seventh and eighth grade students for the 2017-18 year.

The additional grades will begin in the fall with space for approximately 125 students per grade level.

“We couldn’t be more excited to make this announcement about our expansion,” said Helen Nance, chief administrative officer for the school. “We have been working on our plan for about 18 months and we’re confident we can expect the remaining financial support that’s needed for our facility and staff. This is the right time to move forward.”

Historically, the high school students who attend Gray Stone come from as many as 27 different middle schools in eight different counties.

“As the school has matured, we recognize a real need to ensure all of our rising ninth graders have a similar academic foundation,” said Nance. “Creating this foundation is our main motivation for adding middle grades.”

The mission of Gray Stone Day School is to prepare its students for college. The school has consistently been ranked among the top schools in North Carolina and as one of the top 500 schools in the country according to “Newsweek” and other national publications.

Students who attend the middle grades at Gray Stone will be automatically accepted into the high school program, as the two entities will function under one administrative unit. Applications will be available on the school website, www.graystoneday.org, Feb. 1-March 15.

As a charter school subject to North Carolina Charter School law, Gray Stone has an admission process that requires an application and, if necessary, a lottery.

“We hold a lottery only if we have more applications than space available to determine who will be accepted,” said Nance. “If we receive less than 125 applications per grade, then all applicants will be accepted.”

Gray Stone Day School is a public charter school; therefore, it is free for students to attend.

The new facility will be built directly behind the school’s current location in Misenheimer adjacent to Pfeiffer University’s main campus. This new facility will include 16 classrooms, a gymnasium, a commons area and administrative offices.

In addition to accepting and reviewing student applications, Gray Stone is beginning the search for approximately 20 new staff positions for teaching faculty, office staff, counseling and administrative roles in curriculum and instruction. Interested applicants should contact the school for additional information.

“This addition — although exciting — is a costly endeavor,” said Nance. “We are still seeking community and corporate partnerships to help offset the cost of construction.”

Because North Carolina does not provide funding for charter schools’ capital projects, all related debts must be paid using the traditional state allotment or per pupil expenditure. Anyone interested in contributing to the capital campaign is encouraged to contact Helen Nance through the school.

For more information visit the website at www.graystoneday.org or call the school at 704-463-0567.