Bradenton Christian School breaks ground on $3.7M middle school

BRADENTON -- The word of God was pounded into the ground Friday morning on what will be the foundation of the latest addition to Bradenton Christian School.

Hundreds, including students, faculty, staff, families and members of the community, gathered for the groundbreaking for Bradenton Christian's new middle school building.

Instead of shovels, the school opted to have a bulldozer push soil across the construction site.

Each grade level chose a scripture verse to dedicate. Bradenton Vice Mayor Gene Brown spoke to those gathered as stakes bearing signs with the verses were pounded into the freshly bulldozed soil, which will be under the new building's foundation.

"This signifies that we are building the school on solid word of God," Brown said.

Bradenton Christian School, 3304 43rd St. W., Bradenton has continued to grow since its founding in 1960 and currently serves more than 700 students. The new two-story, $3.7 million middle school will be outfitted with the latest technology and science equipment, including two fully equipped science labs with a 3D printer and tablets and laptops in every classroom.

"This is a groundbreaking week and year at Bradenton Christian School," Superintendent Dan Vande Pol said. "Our hearts are full of gratitude to God for how he blessed enrollment and moved in the hearts of donors to bring us to where we need this new building."

For many like Brown, their involvement with Bradenton Christian School has been lifelong. His family has been involved for more than 30 years with his brothers and daughter all attending the school, he said.

"Because of Bradenton Christian School, Rachel has now graduated college with two degrees and she is now working at our family business doing her internship and that is because of Bradenton Christian School," Brown said. "She had a little bit of a learning disability coming into Bradenton Christian, and we brought her here. ... The school truly made a difference in her life as well as got her where she is today."

The new building is scheduled to be completed by August in time for the 2016-17 school year.

"The impact of this building will grow exponentially as these young people grow and positively impact their future colleges and universities, homes, communities, churches and businesses," Vande Pol said.

Jessica De Leon, Herald law enforcement reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7049. You can follow her on Twitter@JDeLeon1012.

This story was originally published November 20, 2015 at 5:49 PM with the headline "Bradenton Christian School breaks ground on $3.7M middle school ."