Construction is underway on a $12.7 million expansion at Union Day School's Weddington campus, adding seven classrooms, a gym and a science lab to the tuition-free charter school.

The school broke ground Sept. 2 at its campus at 3000 Tilley Morris Rd., The Charlotte Weekly reported. The new multipurpose facility is expected to open in fall 2027. It will include a regulation basketball court, a strength and conditioning room, dedicated music and art rooms, expanded student parking and additional play areas.

Union Day School serves about 725 students in grades K-12. It opened in 2016 as a K-3 elementary. The school added one grade each year, and its first senior class graduated in June 2026.

"When our families talk about what they want for their kids, they talk about science labs, art and music spaces and a real place to compete in sports," Executive Director Joely Lord said at the Sept. 2 groundbreaking. "This groundbreaking means we're finally building exactly what our students and families have been asking for."

Board Chair Jim Lovell called the expansion and the first graduation "significant milestones." He said the project ensures the school's facilities keep pace with its growth from a small K-3 school into what he described as "a thriving K-12 community."

Union Day School is the only charter school in North Carolina offering both the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme and the IB Diploma Programme, according to the N.C. Public Charter Schools Association. The Middle Years Programme covers grades 6-10, and the Diploma Programme covers grades 11-12. The full Diploma Programme launched during the 2025-26 school year, and members of the inaugural graduating class earned merit scholarships, the association said.

The new facility will also support Gryphon Athletics, which fields boys' and girls' teams at the middle and high school levels. Myers & Chapman is the general contractor, with Berkeley Consulting Group managing construction and WGM Design as architect.

The school has been recognized multiple times as a Charlotte Magazine Best of the Best winner for area public and charter schools. It draws families primarily from Union County and southern Mecklenburg County, including Weddington, Waxhaw and Matthews.

Enrollment for the 2026-27 school year is still open, with new applicants placed on a waitlist.