Deal to buy land for school OK'd

Charleston City Council on Tuesday approved spending $4.75 million to buy land that essentially would be given to a new private school for college-bound students on the city's upper peninsula.

The deal calls for Meeting Street Academy to build a $9 million school for grades K-8, a gymnasium and a playground on a vacant 2.4-acre lot currently owned by SCE&G, at Meeting and Cool Blow streets.

Meeting Street Academy currently operates a preschool program at a former church on King Street, and started operations just last summer.

Funded with private money from Charleston-based Sherman Financial Group, the school charges just a dollar a day, and educates children carefully hand-picked from applicant families who could not afford private school tuition.

"This is an amazing opportunity for the city and its citizens," said Mayor Joe Riley. "I believe that this will be a national model, not that there are many people around to give $9 million and more to operate a school."

He said the school is the focus of the city land deal, but there are other benefits.

The city would gain the after-hours use of the gymnasium and playground area, and the school will help redevelop an area that SCE&G had been eyeing for a large utility substation.

Several City Council members said they visited the preschool, and were impressed. Councilman Larry Shirley talked at length about how polite and respectful the children were.

"I'll tell you, it was the most amazing thing," he said.

Trish Scarry, the preschool director, told City Council the school will be the "opportunity of a lifetime" for children selected to attend.

East Side community activist Edward Jones questioned why the city would give millions to a private school, instead of trying to keep the Charleston County School District from closing public Fraser Elementary.

"Here we go again, treating some people like second-class citizens," he said.

Riley said the city gives lots of support, financial and otherwise, to the Charleston County School District, and this is another way to try to help improve education.

The city's deal with SCE&G calls for leasing the property to Meeting Street Academy for at least 50 years, for $10.

Council members Aubry Alexander and Tim Mallard voted against the purchase. Council members Deb Morinelli, Jimmy Gallant and Kathleen Wilson were absent, though Gallant supported the school deal.

Alexander said he thinks South Carolina needs a school voucher system, but he didn't like the idea "of picking winners and losers" by helping to create a school that would only serve about 200 students.

"I just don't think we need to use citizens of Charleston's tax money for private schools," Mallard said.