FREEPORT — Maine Coast Waldorf School has started a $6.1 million expansion of its Desert Road campus.

The project includes an addition to the school’s community hall, a new high school building, an educational support center for lower grades an athletic field and upgraded cross country trails.

About 250 students from early childhood through 12th grade are enrolled at the school, which has 50 faculty and staff. The school started a high school program in 2007 and uses rented space at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester. A new school will accommodate increasing high school enrollment and bring the entire student body onto the same campus, the school said in a news release.

Interest in the Waldorf high school reached new heights this year, said admissions director Lyn Baird. “I expect that once the high school is located in Freeport, and people see it, the demand will only increase.”

Construction of the community hall addition started in August and is expected to be done by January 2017. It will include a new main office, kitchen and space for music and drama programs. Work on the high school is slated to start this fall and it is expected to open in the fall 2017. The educational support center will be added to the existing school building.

The school has raised $3.8 million and will borrow $2 million to pay for the project. It is in the process of raising the remaining $300,000.