COLUMBIA, SC – Board members, Charter Institute at Erskine leadership, and faculty gathered on November 16 at the Capital City Club in Columbia to celebrate new beginnings for two virtual charter schools in South Carolina.
Earlier in the day, the Charter Institute at Erskine Board unanimously approved the renewal of Cyber Academy of South Carolina (CASC) for another ten years. At a previous meeting, the Board approved a replication of CASC application, Heron Virtual Academy of South Carolina (HVASC).
HVASC will be designated as a virtual Alternative Education Campus (AEC) that will serve students across the state in grades 9-12. With this distinction, HVASC will serve a student population where learning disabilities, high-risk situations, and needs for specialized instruction are prevalent. HVASC will also serve students who have been expelled from a traditional school or who have previously dropped out of school and set them on a path to vocational certifications and a high school diploma.
“This school is going to reach students who are out of the system and truly change family trees,” said David Crook, Executive Director of CASC. “Heron is going to be the first of its kind in South Carolina.”
HVASC will open in the 2023-2024 school year and is projected to enroll 600 students in its first year of operation.
“We believe that through Heron Academy, we’re opening a new avenue of school choice to a portion of our state who did not have that option before,” said Cameron Runyan, Superintendent of the Charter Institute at Erskine.
CASC, the charter that was renewed, is a tuition-free online public charter school that serves students grades K-12. Since its opening in 2013, CASC has served over 17,000 students across South Carolina. It is authorized by the Charter Institute at Erskine and accredited by the South Carolina Department of Education.
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The Charter Institute at Erskine is the fastest-growing school district in South Carolina. Serving 24 schools and 24,000 students across the state, the Charter Institute at Erskine is committed to innovative, creative, high-quality methods of education. For more information about the Institute, please visit www.erskinecharters.org.
