The Rancho Murieta Community Church has announced it will establish a school as part of its new church facility. The complex will be constructed on a 20-acre Stonehouse Road site donated by the Frank family in 2005. The Rancho Murieta Christian Academy is expected to open in the fall of 2010.

The private school is planned for kindergarten through eighth grade, "but it really depends on the interests and needs of the community. We are in the process of doing a feasibility study," explained Kathy Stutts, a member of the school planning committee.

The school's mission is to provide "a Christ-centered ... whole child education," according to the committee.  The school will embody "a Christian world view in all areas of teaching" and class sizes will be limited to no more than 22 students. Plans call for a dress code, with uniforms.

Plans call for the Youth Hall, in the first phase of construction, to be used as a school. 

The school will be accredited through the Association of Christian Schools International, and funding will come from tuition, fundraising and grants, organizers say.

The school's 10 classrooms will be located in the youth ministry building, which is planned for the first phase of construction.

The church submitted an application to the Sacramento County planners last September for the facility. According to the application, the first phase of construction includes an 11,000-square-foot youth ministry, a 4,400-square-foot administration building and 217 parking spaces.

A second phase will add a 500-seat worship hall and a 1,800-square-foot chapel.

Each of the four buildings will be oriented around a central courtyard, and together they will form a cross.

The church will be accessed from Stonehouse Road on the east and Haycock Street on the west, according to the application to the county.

Since the church will be located outside the boundaries of the Rancho Murieta Community Services District, it will not receive water or sewer service from the district.  The church will use an existing well on the property to meet water needs and install a septic system for sewage.

Previous coverage of the building plans is available here.

For more information about the school, contact Carrie Zenker, carrie@ranchomurieta.org or 354-0333, Kathy Stutts, kathleenstutts@sbcglobal.net or 354-2294, or Lynn Clevenger, lynnclevenger@sbcglobal.net or 354-0431