MERRILLVILLE | The Midwest Elite Preparatory Academy is growing.
Ronda Payne, the principal of the private school, received approval Tuesday from the Town Council to expand the school into another unit at 8101 Polo Club Drive.
The council's unanimous decision comes about year after it granted a special exception for the school to open at the Polo Club Drive building.
"I've heard good things about your school already," Councilman Ron Widing said.
Payne said the expansion is needed because she has many prospective students on a waiting list.
The school for children in kindergarten through 12th grade currently has about 70 students.
Payne hopes enrollment will reach 150 now that she can expand.
She anticipates students will come off the waiting list in January.
"I think you're doing a fabulous job," Councilwoman Chrissy Barron said.
Payne said there are seven teachers at the school, and she anticipates adding three more because of the growth.
Classes at Midwest Elite Preparatory Academy are in session year-round, Payne said.
The school is registered with the Indiana Department of Education, but it doesn't receive government funding.
In other matters, Arte Emmanolidis received a special exception to build an auto repair and maintenance facility at 9273 Taft St.
The approval comes with a condition that vehicles can't be parked in front of the facility overnight.
Emmanolidis said he owns several auto repair businesses in Northwest Indiana, and vehicles rarely need to stay overnight.
If that happens, he will keep the vehicles inside the facility or park them in a fenced-in area behind the building.
Construction of the new business is expected to start in the spring, Emmanolidis said.
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