‘Berkeley Prep’ charter school set to open in Cane Bay by next year

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Cane Bay families could have a new school option for their K-8 students by next year. Berkeley Preparatory Academy is now set to open its doors in August 2021 after experiencing some delays, according to the president of the Berkeley Charter Education Association.

The public charter school will be located off Black Tom Road about 1.5 miles from Highway 176 and about a mile from where Cane Bay Boulevard connects with Black Tom Road.

It will accommodate 750 students by the time it’s fully operational.

This will be the second school operated by the Berkeley Charter Education Association. The non-profit also oversees Mevers School of Excellence in Goose Creek.

“We really saw that there was a need for choice, not only choice, but a need to be able to build buildings at a reasonable amount of money for kids,” President Stewart Weinberg said. “When you think about the cost to taxpayers and why we are able to do something more efficiently and more effectively and really provide choices for parents and children, it’s important.”

The charter school association is authorized through the Erskine Charter Institute.

Weinberg said the non-profit is also considering opening a third charter school but a location has not been identified at this time.

These charter schools are not associated with the Berkeley County School District. Anyone in the state can attend them.

“Probably next February 2021, we will start posting information sessions, and we will start enrolling students,” Weinberg said. “I really believe we will be fully enrolled in a very short period of time.”

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