LAFAYETTE PARISH — Construction crews are hard at work in downtown Lafayette, signaling a season of growth and development across the city.
Among the most notable projects is an over $4 million expansion at First Baptist Christian School. Located at the corner of South Buchanan and West Main streets, the project will transform the site of the former Davidson Meaux law office into a 16,500-square-foot Upper School and College Ministry building.
Senior Pastor James Pritchard said this fall will mark the school’s highest enrollment in history.
Pritchard attributes the growth to the school’s recent full accreditation, an expanded athletics program and the new facility, which will include state-of-the-art classrooms and collaborative spaces for worship and community outreach.
“This room will allow us to have a capacity close to 300 in this building, and so it gives us plenty of runway to grow and do what we need to do for the future,” Pritchard said. “It has shown our families, our parents, that hey, we are investing in the school, we are investing in the future. So these parents of children in kindergarten and first grade can say, ‘Hey, my kids can have their entire school career experience at First Baptist Christian School because of these investments.
Tours of the new facility will be available in the fall. School leaders hope to have students in the building by January.
