Private and Charter Schools:
Finding the Right Fit for Education
by Marilyn Thomas
Every year, American school-aged children spend an average of 1,000 hours in a scholastic setting. Since so much time is invested in building a strong educational foundation, choosing the best academic fit is a priority for many parents. In South Carolina, public charter and private schools are two of the alternative academic options offered within the greater Midlands area.
ALA Charter School
The American Leadership Academy (ALA) is a tuition-free charter school for kindergarten through high school students that opened in the fall semester of 2023. Located at Innovation Place in Lexington, “ALA provides a safe, structured, and supportive learning environment for all students,” says Ray Canady, the school’s Athletic Director. According to the South Carolina Department of Education, a charter school is defined as “a public, nonreligious, non-home-based, nonprofit corporation forming a school that operates by the sponsorship of a public school district, the South Carolina Public Charter School District, or a public or independent institution of higher learning.”
“Charter Schools have flexibility and provide a choice for parents and students,” explains Director Canady. “Different charter school options allow parents to pick an environment they think is best suited for their child to get them ready for college, the workforce, or military.” Director Canady says that ALA “offers an education in support of families in a moral and wholesome environment” by emphasizing core values represented by the acronym R.A.I.S.E., which stands for Respect, Accountability, Integrity, Service, and Excellence.
“Our Athletic Department ensures our student athletes have the same experiences as students at traditional schools,” he adds. As a Class AA Region 2 school and member of the South Carolina High School League, ALA offers the main sports sanctioned by this organization.
Heritage Christian Academy
Founded in 1996 and located on Barr Road in Lexington, “Heritage Christian Academy is the only Christian school in the area that utilizes classical Christian education. This educational path establishes a biblical worldview, incorporating the natural, God-given phases of child development, cultivates the seven Christian virtues, and trains students in reasoning,” says Jill Jett, Heritage’s head of school. “We believe that private Christian education provides our students with the opportunity to learn in an
encouraging and rigorous environment that fosters learning,” adds Principal Christie Hamilton. “We desire to meet each child where they are and provide them with an education that will challenge them, while also instilling in them a love of learning.”
To promote an academically oriented environment, Heritage maintains smaller class sizes that average 10-12 students. In addition to teaching staple and unique subjects like cursive writing, computers, music, and Latin, the school’s K4-eighth grade students also enjoy extra-curricular activities such as tennis, cheerleading, chess club, and student council. “I have worked at Heritage for over half of my professional career,” says Principal Hamilton, “and can say that I have seen many students go through our school of grammar, into the school of logic, and excel as they move into high school. This school prepares students in an incredible way for their academic careers.”
Northside Christian Academy
Northside Christian Academy (NCA), a private school located in Lexington County, was officially launched as a ministry of Northside Baptist Church in the fall of 2011. “The vision of Northside Christian Academy is to trust our Lord as we seek academic and biblical excellence,” says Scott Crede, Co-Founder, current Head of School, and Executive Pastor of Northside Baptist Church.
“We believe this will be accomplished with much prayer, commitment, and great leadership among the administration and faculty, supported by a strong base of parental involvement,” he continues. “Our goal is to prepare students to be fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ so that the generations to come might know Him (Psalm 78:4).”
According to Pastor Crede, in addition to “being able to build a foundation with students with Christ as the foundation,” some of the other advantages of attending NCA are its affordable tuition, excellence in academics, and extracurricular activities, which include 16 athletic teams, an afterschool arts academy, a robotics team, a chess club, and choir, band, and worship arts.
Since its inception, the school has expanded to two campuses with K3 through twelfth grade offered at its location at 4347 Sunset Boulevard in Lexington and K4 through fifth grade available at 742 Kitti Wake Drive in West Columbia.
South Carolina Whitmore School
South Carolina Whitmore School (SCWS) “is a flexible, inclusive, and personalized learning environment supporting students while in high school to follow their next steps to college, career, or military,” says Kim Dunbar, the executive director of SCWS. A charter school established in 2011, “SCWS offers a unique approach to education,” she adds. “This self-paced, alternative online learning model allows students to advance through online courses at their own pace.” Whether an accelerated learner who endeavors to graduate early or a student struggling to keep up in the traditional classroom setting, SCWS “serves as an alternative high-quality educational option.”
Although its physical address is 501 Commerce Drive in Columbia, SCWS serves “the entire state virtually while offering in-person events such as prom, graduation, and field trips,” Director Dunbar explains. Additionally, the institution provides a full-time graduation coach, a student resource coordinator, a school counselor, and instructors who offer individualized assistance.
“We serve all students whether they are high achieving, behind in credits, require special education services, or are suffering from mental health issues,” says Director Dunbar. “We have proven that students can excel and reach their potential at SCWS.”
