Long View, WASHINGTON -- Two Christian schools will merge this summer as one covering K-12, which will become the first and only K-12 Christian school in Cowiltz County.

Longview Christian, a ministry of Northlake Baptist Church, offers kindergarten through sixth grades and has an enrollment of 210 students. It was established in 1966 as the area's first child-care center and opened the school the following year.

Cornerstone Community Christian, which opened in 1998 at the corner of Minor and Mount Brynion roads in Kelso, has an enrollment of 130 students in seventh through 12th grades.

It will take a couple of more years for the two schools to share the same campus but until then they will operate under the unified leadership by the end of the school year, said Principal Jim Chenoweth of Longview Christian.

According to the principal, the need for a new campus arose when Northgate City Church, which rents space to Cornerstone school, needed to relocate because of other plans for the building.

"We just wanted to accommodate them to find a location, and we felt it would be advantageous to be together," Chenoweth said.

"We already have families with students at both places, and it's difficult for them to drop a child off at both places," Chenoweth said, "It think it would be a benefit for the families."

Currently, a contest is going on to name the new K-12 Christian school. Go to: www. Cornerstoneschool.net