The Griffin School in Hyde Park intends to expand by next school. School officials plan to build a new two-story structure behind the existing school building, which used to be a church.[/caption]

By this time next year, The Griffin School will have nearly 4,000 square feet of extra space at its Hyde Park campus.

The private high school, which five years ago moved into the former Trinity Methodist Church building in Hyde Park, intends to build a two-story, nearly 4,000-square-foot structure east of the school’s main building, said Adam Wilson, The Griffin School director and co-founder.

There are 95 students this school year, he said, up from 55 when the school relocated. The expansion will allow 125 total students, Wilson said.

The student growth allows for more athletic and academic programs, he said, such as Advanced Placement, or AP, classes. Higher enrollment also equals higher wages for teachers.

“Many private school teachers make less than those at public schools,” he said.

Wilson anticipates beginning construction by winter. A community garden will be relocated to make way for the new structure.