Traverse City Montessori school The Children's House is breaking ground on a new elementary wing this summer.

The 2,200 square-foot addition will introduce a new classroom, coatrooms and tutoring space to the Long Lake Road school, which serves 235 students ranging from infants up to eighth grade. The expansion was financed through an Economic Development Corporation loan and Traverse City State Bank.

“Total enrollment has remained steady every year since the original building was established in 2002,” says Head of School Michele Shane. “But in the past few years, the incredible growth of our lower- and upper-elementary program made it clear that we needed more classroom space to accommodate our growing student body.”

Representatives from Traverse City State Bank, Hallmark Construction and Cornerstone Architects (pictured above) attended a June 9 groundbreaking ceremony. The expansion is scheduled to be complete by January 2017.