TAMA — While plenty of work remains to be done, the leaders of the soon to be opened non-denominational K-8 Tama-Toledo Christian School (TTCS) are encouraged by the continued progress inside the former Catholic church at 600 Oswego St. in Tama and gave the public — whether they were parents considering enrolling their children there or simply visitors interested in witnessing the transformation — to an open house from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.

From left to right, Builder/Contractor Eric Slagle, TTCS Administrator Tana Whitton and School Board President Dean Fisher pose for a photo together during the open house.

Board President Dean Fisher estimated that at least 200 people walked through the doors over a three-hour time frame, and 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. A large wooden cross is now prominently displayed in the sanctuary area.

“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.”

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.

Cousins Havynn and Tavia Rosenberger manned the face painting area during the Tama-Toledo Christian School open house on Saturday morning.

Along with basic tours, the open house included perks like a face painting station and treats courtesy of Fisher’s wife Vicki, who also serves on the school board. To learn more about TTCS, visit https://www.ttchristianschool.org/ or find the school’s official page on Facebook.