Epiphany Episcopal School expands in Danville

One short year after opening with nine students in its K-8 school, Epiphany Episcopal School now has 49 students enrolled and expects that number to double next year, said Associate Headmaster Jack Messer.

Messer said the rapid increase in the number of students is accelerating the school’s plans for expansion into buildings next to the school, at 125 and 131 Jefferson Ave.

“Three benevolent parishioners formed an LLC (Limited Liability Corporation) and purchased the buildings for the school,” Don Webb, the school’s communications director, said.

The building being renovated immediately is at 125 Jefferson St., which will be connected to the main school building by a handicap-access ramp. Older students will move into that building as soon as it is completed, Messer said.

The building at 131 Jefferson St. is currently rented, with the income used to pay the mortgage for the school — but the building may be put into use at the school as soon as 2011, when they hope to begin offering high school classes, Messer said.

Students at the school receive a lot of personal attention, Messer said.

“There are no more than 10 kids per class, and we prefer to keep it at eight,” Messer said, explaining the school’s rapid growth. “We have the best-qualified educators anywhere, and it’s a good environment, a joyful environment.”

Messer said the smaller classes and quality education offers its students better options for the future.

“It will allow them to move on into a quality college,” Messer said.

Beyond typical reading, math, sciences and history, the school pushes foreign language learning and physical fitness.

Students in kindergarten through third grade study French; from fourth grade on, they must study Latin, and in sixth grade German is offered as an extracurricular class. Language emersion programs are offered in the summer.

Messer said students have regular physical education classes, but also swim at the YMCA once a week and take 10-minute walks after lunch every day. Field trips to the Danville Public Library are done on foot as well, he said.

The school’s board of directors and church leadership has been pleasantly surprised by the growth of the school, Webb said, noting that there have already been applications for kindergarten students to attend in 2011.

“This thing is flying! This rapid growth was not expected, especially with this economy,” Webb said. “We’re encouraged that we are filling a need in this community.”

Only one step remains in all the paperwork that has been necessary to add on to the school — approval from Danville City Council for the three special use permits and a zoning change needed to use the new buildings. City Council will vote on the proposals tonight.