PICKENS — Soaring Eagles Christian Academy will be moving from its current location at City View Circle in Pickens to the former Landmark Christian Academy building, a move that Soaring Eagles Administrator Harry Ohlson refers to as a “major upgrade.”

“For us, it’s very exciting,” Ohlson said on Monday, shortly after learning that Landmark Baptist Church had voted in favor of offering a lease to Soaring Eagles. “But since it has taken so long to get it finalized, it has hurt us a little bit, because we haven’t been able to advertise and get the news out that we’re moving there.”

Soaring Eagles Christian Academy’s school year starts on Aug. 17.

Last year, Soaring Eagles had 52 students in the academy and another 25 in its day care. But Ohlson said on Monday that only about 20-30 have enrolled for the 2010-’11 school year so far.

“But we definitely plan on having more than that,” he said. “We have teachers waiting to be hired as soon as we have the students.”

Tuition is on a sliding scale based on a family’s income, ranging from $1,800 a year to $2,300 a year.

The building that Soaring Eagles is moving into has a full gymnasium, a computer lab, a science lab and carpeted hallways.

“It’s a total upgrade from where we were in,” Ohlson said. “And it’s centrally located — all within 10 miles of Pickens, Easley, Liberty and Dacusville.”

For more information about Soaring Eagles, visit its website at www.soaringeagleschristian.com.