Chartwell School is in the early stages of expanding its Seaside campus.

Nearly two years ago, Chartwell School received a $45 million donation from Charles “Chuck” and Claire Jacobson’s estate. Chuck, who had dyslexia, was a former board member at the K-12 private school, which focuses on students with dyslexia and other learning differences.

Now, a project to expand its campus is one step closer to fruition.

“We’re currently in the design and planning phase for a potential campus expansion that would significantly enhance the learning experience for our students and increase Chartwell’s ability to serve the Monterey Peninsula community,” says Danielle Patterson, Head of School.

The expansion plan calls for adding five buildings on 59 acres owned by the school in Seaside.

The first phase is a learning center, where students would have access to science classrooms and a digital tech lab. The second phase would be a dedicated high school for up to 180 students with personalized classrooms for small classes, a library, athletic facilities, streetlights on Numa Watson Road, plus additional parking spaces.

“These facilities would further support the heart of Chartwell’s approach – project-based, experiential learning designed to empower students with complex learning profiles,” Patterson says.

The project is expected to take 18 months to complete. It would nearly double the school’s capacity from 215 to 400 students, and the number of faculty and staff from 72 to 112.

The expansion project is still pending permits and final approval. The Seaside Planning Commission was scheduled to discuss the project on May 14, but that meeting was canceled and the project will return to the commission for consideration at a later date.