Hybrid school finds backers

A new type of public-private partnership school that could be a model for others statewide could be coming to Charleston.

The school would be funded with private and public money, would have more autonomy than a traditional public school and be able to enroll a specific student population.

It's a model that can be found elsewhere but hasn't been tried in South Carolina, and the concept has received support from state Education Superintendent Jim Rex, Charleston County schools Superintendent Nancy McGinley and some members of the county school board.

"It's brilliant and imaginative and exactly the kind of innovation public education needs to somersault into," school board member Gregg Meyers said last week.

Organizers behind Carolina Preparatory Academy initially planned to open a charter school. They planned to enroll students who lack high quality educational options, but charter schools must be open to students across the county. Organizers toyed with different ideas until coming to this one.

"We want to match elite public and private schools nationwide," said Pete Kennedy, executive director of Carolina Preparatory Academy. "We want to bridge the achievement gap and put the best possible program in the hands of those who need it most."

The North Charleston-based hybrid school would serve about 800 students from kindergarten through

12th grade. It would be a community center and offer health screenings and adult literacy classes. The school would have a focus on environmental sustainability and coastal marine ecosystems, and its initial list of partners include the South Carolina Aquarium, the Michaux Conservancy and Project Oceanica.

McGinley discussed the idea before the board at its last meeting, and she plans to work with Kennedy to reach out to private organizations for planning grant money, she said. The board would have to approve the final plan.

Board member David Engelman described the idea as an "excellent" one, and member Ruth Jordan said she wanted buy-in from the community. The concept will be presented to stakeholders, McGinley said.

Board member Arthur Ravenel Jr. told the board that if the school was going to be a partnership school, it probably would need some legislation to give it a legal status. He suggested calling the county's legislative delegation.

Board Vice Chairwoman Nancy Cook told Kennedy that the concept sounded great, but she questioned the financial investment because giving money to Carolina Preparatory would mean less money for another school.

McGinley said she understood Cook's concern, especially in light of the board's directive to consolidate schools and the mid-year state budget cuts, but said the most difficult times are when the district needs to be the most creative.

"The public-private partnership is an area we've only begun to explore, and I think we can come back with more specifics about how this can be done financially," McGinley said.

Reach Diette Courrégé at 937-5546 or dcourrege@ postandcourier.com.