The Limestone Charter Association, which currently oversees 13 charter schools in South Carolina, has announced that it will wind down its operations by June 2026 due to the closure of its parent institution, Limestone University. This decision marks the end of the district’s ability to sponsor charter schools, leaving them to seek new authorizers for the 2026-2027 school year.
Impact on Local Schools and Timeline for Transition
The closure follows a legislative requirement, SC Code §6-29-510 (D)(10), which mandates that charter school districts have an institution of higher education behind them to sponsor schools. With Limestone University ceasing operations, the charter district is now entering a “closure protocol” to ensure a smooth transition for its schools.
The 13 charter schools, including well-known institutions such as Oceanside Collegiate Academy in Mt. Pleasant and Legion Collegiate Academy in Rock Hill, will need to find new sponsors by the 2026-2027 school year. The deadline for these schools to complete their transfer decisions is between July 1 and December 15, 2025.
State Involvement and Plans for Transition
South Carolina Department of Education officials, led by Meka Childs, are working closely with Limestone Charter Association to minimize disruption. The state has enacted a temporary measure within the 2024 state budget to guide the closure process, including a new protocol for transferring schools to other authorizers.
Limestone Charter Association will continue to operate during the 2025-2026 school year, with oversight and state funding in place. However, by the end of June 2026, the charter district will be dissolved, and all schools must secure new authorizers.
Challenges and Uncertainty Ahead
While most of Limestone’s schools are expected to find new sponsors, the transition will not be without its challenges. Some of the schools, such as Oceanside Collegiate Academy and Legion Collegiate Academy, left other authorizers to join Limestone, and there is uncertainty about whether those previous sponsors will be willing to take them back. Additionally, some new schools slated to open in the fall may prefer to reapply to another authorizer during the upcoming application cycle.
South Carolina’s public charter school district, which oversees 44 charter schools, has already stated it is not currently considering taking on any of Limestone’s schools. Meanwhile, the Charter Institute at Erskine, another statewide authorizer, has not yet responded to inquiries regarding potential transfers.
Possible New Authorizers for Limestone Schools
Other potential authorizers include the newly established Voorhees University Charter Institute of Learning. Although they have not received formal transfer requests yet, they are open to exploring options with Limestone schools.
List of Schools Affected
The schools under Limestone Charter Association’s oversight include:
- Oceanside Collegiate Academy (Mt. Pleasant)
- Legion Collegiate Academy (Rock Hill)
- Horse Creek Academy (Aiken)
- Coastal High School (Myrtle Beach)
- Orangeburg High School for Health Professions (Orangeburg)
- Atlantic Collegiate Academy (Myrtle Beach)
- East Link Academy (Greenville)
- Global Academy of SC (Spartanburg)
- Goucher Charter Academy (Gaffney)
- Mountain View Preparatory (Spartanburg)
- SC Prep Leadership School (Anderson – Virtual)
- SC Preparatory Academy (Anderson – Virtual)
- Summerville Preparatory Academy (Summerville)
- Colearn Academy SC (Virtual)
- Discovery School at Myrtle Beach (Conway)
- Horse Creek Academy – Kershaw (Lugoff)
- Marshview Collegiate Academy (Hardeeville)
- AIM High School (Columbia – Hybrid)
- Grand Strand Charter Arts (Myrtle Beach)
As Limestone Charter Association winds down its operations, its schools face an uncertain future, with the need to find new sponsors by the 2026-2027 school year. State education officials are working to facilitate a smooth transition, but with some schools potentially unable to find new sponsors, the next few years will be crucial for maintaining educational stability in the region.
