Charter Institute at Erskine (Institute) schools across the Midlands are welcoming students back for the 2025-2026 school year. This year, these schools will serve nearly 6,000 students in the region, offering new opportunities for learning and growth.
Institute Schools in the Midlands include:
- American Leadership Academy Lexington (5K-12, Lexington County)
- Clear Dot Charter School (4K-12, Richland County)
- Cogito Academy (4K-5, Lancaster County)
- Gray Collegiate Academy (6-12, Lexington & Richland Counties)
- Midlands STEM Charter School (5K-12, Fairfield County)
- The Montessori School of Camden (5K-8, Kershaw County)
- Virtus Academy of South Carolina (5K-12, Florence County)
- Willie Jeffries School of Excellence (5K-7, Orangeburg County)
“Each new school year represents an opportunity to expand access to high-quality education for South Carolina families,” said Institute Superintendent of Schools Mike Sinclair. “This year, we’re so excited about the growth in the Midlands region. From welcoming new campuses to enrolling new students, all of these updates are helping to ensure that more children have the tools they need to succeed.”
Cogito Academy joined the Institute’s portfolio for the 2025-2026 school year. Located in Lancaster, Cogito serves grades 4K-5 and will add a grade level each year until reaching 4K-8. It is part of the Tutelage School Solutions network, which also includes Cherokee Charter Academy, Greenwood Charter Academy, Libertas Academy – Boiling Springs, and Libertas Academy – Colleton.
Another highlight for this school year is the opening of Gray Collegiate Academy’s new satellite campus in Irmo. The Irmo campus serves approximately 600 students in grades 6-10 and will eventually expand to grades 6-12. In addition to making Gray’s high-quality academics accessible to more families, the new campus will introduce additional courses not currently offered at the West Columbia location.
Statewide, the Institute now authorizes 28 schools serving approximately 30,000 students. This includes six statewide virtual schools – Cyber Academy of South Carolina, Heron Virtual Academy of South Carolina, Lowcountry Connections Academy, Odyssey Online Learning, South Carolina Connections Academy, South Carolina Virtual Charter School – which collectively enroll students from every zip code in South Carolina.
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The Charter Institute at Erskine is the fastest-growing school district in South Carolina. Serving 28 schools and 30,000 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.
