Veritas Academy recently began renovations on its building, which the school had officially purchased via public auction on April 27. The more than 47,000-square-foot building is located on a 12-acre property at 26 Hillcrest Ave., Leola, where Veritas had been a tenant since 1999.

Built in 1955, the facility originally served as the Leola Elementary School. Most recently, the building was home to the offices of Upper Leacock Township, which owned the building and leased space to Veritas, Steps to Success Daycare and the Leola Branch of the Lancaster Public Library. When the Lancaster Public Library System closed the Leola branch and Steps to Success decided to move to a different location, the only two remaining occupants this year were Veritas and the township.

In recent years, Veritas had begun to outgrow its allotted space in their building, with a consistently growing student population. Now that Veritas has full ownership of the property, the school can both plan for expansion and better use the space in the current structure.

The school's immediate plans for the building include overhauling the HVAC system and replacing parts of the roof, both of which date back to the building's beginnings. In the future, the school plans to enlarge the gymnasium, add classrooms, and expand spaces to accommodate the school's growing arts, athletics, electives, and other extracurricular programs.

For decades, Veritas has generally operated with one class per grade, but the ultimate goal of the school is to expand to two classes per grade. This school year, enrollment has grown to the point that the school is adding a second kindergarten and first-grade class to accommodate students on its waiting list.

"We are so thankful that the Lord has provided us with a home where we can put down our roots and continue to grow," said Ty Fischer, Veritas head of school. "The generosity of our donors and the faithful prayers of our whole school community helped make this possible, and with the consistent growth in enrollment we've seen over the years, it's great to know we have room to accommodate our expanding programs and student body."