From left, Tama-Toledo Christian School (TTCS) builder/contractor Eric Slagle, Administrator Tana Whitton, and Board President, Rep. Dean Fisher pose together for a photo during TTCS’s first open house held last Saturday, March 29, in Tama. Renovations continue on the new school – slated to open this fall – inside the former St. Patrick’s Catholic Church building. PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY

TAMA — While plenty of work remains to be done, leaders of the soon to be opened non-denominational K-8 Tama-Toledo Christian School (TTCS) are encouraged by continued progress inside the former St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Tama. As part of that progress, last Saturday, March 29, the public — both parents considering enrollment or visitors simply interested in witnessing the transformation from church to school — were invited to an open house at the building located at 600 Oswego Street.

Board President Dean Fisher estimated that well over 200 people walked through the doors over a three-hour time frame on Saturday; both TTCS Administrator Tana Whitton and builder/contractor Eric Slagle were happy with the turnout. Whitton said the crowd was a mix of those who have a nostalgic attachment to the building itself, which had been empty for 22 years before renovations started last spring, and parents who were actively asking questions about enrolling in the fall.

“Everyone wants to know how the structure’s gonna be and wants to know that God’s gonna be involved in these kids’ lives all day, so it’s gonna be amazing,” said Slagle, who has lived in the area for about 10 years and is married to a South Tama County High School alum. “We’re excited. Our kids are gonna go to school here.”

Construction, he added, is on schedule, with the classroom and offices framed on both floors and a basement area for activities like indoor recess still in progress.

“We’ve got amazing support and an amazing amount of local contractors that support us, and many of them are involved all the way down to, you know, hopefully enrolling their kids here,” Slagle said. “It’s pretty exciting, and we’ve had a lot of generous donations and people who have given a better price than normal because of our cause. They’re supporting us in many ways, and we’re very grateful and very blessed.”

The former St. Patrick’s Catholic Church located at 600 Oswego Street in Tama pictured on Saturday, March 29. The building is being renovated into the future home of the Tama-Toledo Christian School. PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY

Slagle’s children were the first to enroll at the new school, and Whitton said that overall, they are slightly ahead of projections but still hope to have small class sizes — intending to start with about 30 kids across all of the grades and potentially putting two grades in the same classroom.

“Now that the building is done and once (Education Savings Accounts) open, we know that there is gonna be greater interest, greater questions, greater applications, but at this point, we’re completely on track with that,” she said. “At this point, we’re accepting applications across the board. We have a lot of interest in the younger elementary age, and today, my experience so far is there’s a lot more interest in the middle school.”

Currently, Whitton and the board are also in the process of hiring teachers and working with universities to find candidates with plans to continue posting and advertising for the positions until the middle of April. And while some of the details with both the building and staff of the school still remain to be finalized, Slagle feels that the support of the Tama-Toledo communities is “an absolute blessing” that keeps the people behind the project moving forward and gives them purpose.

“It’s been good for all of us. It’s even been good for, you know, there’s people on the periphery that aren’t really Christian but believe that God is here. And it’s making a difference in their lives too because they see the purpose,” he said.

Whitton, who officially started full time on Jan. 6, expressed a similar sentiment.

“I feel like that’s evident as well, the fact that there has been so much support. There’s evidence that it’s filling the heart’s desire. It’s filling a need in the community because the response has been one of wanting to be engaged and asking how they can help and offering the discounts,” she said.

Along with basic tours, the open house included perks like a face painting station and treats courtesy of Rep. Fisher’s wife Vicki, who also serves on the school board.

To learn more about TTCS, visit https://www.ttchristianschool.org/ or the school’s Facebook page.