HASTINGS, Neb. -- A new school option will soon be available in central Nebraska. 

Hastings Christian School is planning to open as a K-12 school in the fall after three years of planning.

Classes will be taught at the YMCA building on 18th St. The building is owned by Grace Life Church and the church will rent the space to the school.

This first year won’t be accredited but they will be working on a Christian accreditation. 

Board member Garrett Watkins said the city needs a Christian school. 

“Our desire is to see children receive a Christian worldview, where they’re taught from the word of God, and where they’re able to then be able to go out into the world and give it a testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ,” Watkins said. 

The school plans to meet three days per week, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, which Watkins said will appeal to a lot of people who are already homeschooling and doing Christian co-ops.

Either Monday or Friday, families will choose a day to do homework for three to four hours. In the future, the school plans to offer extracurricular activities on those days. 

Children will be placed in classes based on their mastery levels. The school will also rotate through eras of time - Medieval, Modern, U.S. History and Ancient, so that the school can learn together. 

Watkins said the school's approach will differentiate it from others in the area.

“We will be using the classical Christian model, which is an emphasis on the liberal arts, as well as the fact that we’re a Christian school, which means that we will be emphasizing and teaching from a biblical worldview,” said Watkins. 

The school has fundraised enough to start, but school officials say they are planning to charge enough tuition so as to not rely on donors. They are expecting at least 60 students, which means they need a minimum of six teachers.

“We’re excited to be an incommunicable school where Christians from all different kinds of churches are able to come, and we hope to be a blessing to Hastings,” said Watkins. 

They are still working on the design of the classrooms. Tuition will be $4,900 plus a curriculum fee of $350.