MISENHEIMER — Gray Stone Day School has begun a capital campaign to raise $1.5 million in order to add sixth, seventh and eighth grades to the public charter high school.

“It is a natural fit to add middle grades to allow students to be prepared for the rigor and culture of the high school in a supportive and nurturing environment,” said Helen Nance, chief administrative officer of Gray Stone Day School.

The Gray Stone Educational Foundation that runs the school has raised $600,000 to date and are working to raise the additional $900,000.

The planned middle school building will be 27,000 square feet and cost $3.9 million. The construction will be the same as the high school and will be located close to the existing high school. Gray Stone owns 60 acres at this time. Each grade will be made up of 125 students, bringing the total to 375 for the three grades.

“We need somewhere to house the students, and it needs to be on our current campus,” said Nance. “The upper and lower schools would be able to share much of the administration and teacher support and allow for innovative staff development and student opportunities.”

The school is seeking support from families and businesses.

For more information about the school or the capital campaign, contact Nance at hnance@graystoneday.org, call 704-850-4201 or visit its website at www.graystoneday.org.