“Growth.” That was the one-word answer Keyes to Learning Charter School principal Lee Ann Stangl gave for why the school was seeking to move its seventh through 12th grade students to a different location.

The charter school has existed since 1992, when it opened as an independent-study school. Since then KTL has grown into a K-12 hybrid program, where the students study at home most of week and spend only a few days in the classroom.

The school has been located on one site in Keyes for over a year and half, but their increased kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment has made their current building “a little crowded,” according to Stangl.

After looking around, the charter school found the Turlock Covenant Church. The church, located at 316 Laurel St., has a two-story education building located next to its main sanctuary. In the past, the building housed a day care center, as well as Sunday school classes.

The day care center has since closed and the majority of the rooms are not used during most of the week. Last week, the Turlock Planning Commission approved the use of the second story of the Turlock Covenant Church education building as a school, not to exceed 140 students.

“We felt like it would be a good fit,” said Turlock Covenant Pastor Steve Carlson. “Here’s an opportunity to be a blessing to this school and an opportunity for people in this community, if they were looking for a charter school, to have one in the neighborhood.”

The second floor of the church’s education building has eight classrooms that are currently not used at all during the daytime hours Monday through Friday, said Carlson.

“It’s good stewardship to have our building being used in a positive way for the community,” he said.

To contact Kristina Hacker, e-mail khacker@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2004.