In honor of World Autism Awareness Day, ground was broken Monday on a new school in Martin County that will serve students on the autism spectrum.
A new campus for the Hope Center for Autism will be constructed in Jensen Beach.
The current school is at capacity and only serves grades Kindergarten through second grade.
Currently, 30 children are on a waiting list to attend the school.
The new building will allow the public charter school to more than double the number of students it serves.
"That’s going to enable us to go from Pre-K to the sixth grade and take care of 100 kids,” said Jim Applegate with the Hope Center For Autism.
Fundraising for the $5 million first building is underway with a planned completion date in two years.
One out of every 68 children born today is on the autism spectrum, including one in 44 boys.