A second South Carolina school in the national Acceleration Academies network has won approval to open in the Myrtle Beach area, after the South Carolina Public Charter School District approved a site north of the bustling Lowcountry Acceleration Academy in North Charleston.
Horry County Acceleration Academies will open after a required planning year. The new academy — one of four new public charter schools that won state endorsement — was featured in a news story by WBTW, News13 TV.
“Under the leadership of our Board of Trustees, I am convinced that the district approved four schools of innovation that meet the individual needs of students while remaining accountable to the high-need communities they serve,” said Chris Neeley, superintendent of the South Carolina Public Charter School District. “The variety of instruction, culture, and organization each school will offer families reflect the mission, vision, and values of the district.”
Mark Graves, co-founder, executive vice president and chief engagement officer of Acceleration Academies, said the innovative network looks forward to working in partnership with Horry County Superintendent Dr. Rick Maxey and his team to offer deserving students — who are called “graduation candidates” to remind them of their goals — a personalized, flexible path to their high school diplomas.
“We are deeply grateful for the trust that has been placed in our team and the research-based blended learning model we offer to students who have not met with success in previous traditional high school settings,” Graves told News13. “We hope to build a strong relationship with Superintendent Maxey and his team as this work will be strongest with a close working relationship with our school district partners. Our program is an extension of our partner school district’s capacity and an additional safety net for students seeking more flexibility and personalization as they take on more adult responsibilities in this post-Covid era. Our wrap-around supports and mental health services have helped our graduation candidates overcome non-academic barriers that prevented their success in the past as well.”
