ANDERSON, S.C.—Reason & Republic, an Education Management Organization that operates classical charter schools in South Carolina, announces Summit Classical School and Belton Preparatory Academy ranked among the top schools in the state, according to the South Carolina Department of Education’s Annual School and District Report Card system for the 2020-2021 school year.
“We’re extremely proud of the leadership teams, faculty and students at both of these public charter schools,” said James Galyean, CEO of Reason & Republic. “This Report Card verifies that our classical education curriculum is extremely effective in engaging children to think and learn at impressive levels. It also demonstrates the potential for traditional educational models to push children to higher achievement levels in tuition-free public charter schools. I am especially excited that we have been able to accomplish this in only three years. However, every day and every year is a new chance to excel. We want our schools to continue to improve and be leaders in education in the years to come.”
In the 2020-2021 school year, Summit Classical School in Clinton had 70.7% of all students living below the poverty level, one of the highest rates at a charter elementary school. Yet it had 53.8% of its students meeting or exceeding expectations among elementary and middle schools ranked on the SC Report Card. In English/Language Arts, it ranked first among local schools and third among Charter Institute at Erskine schools. In Math, it ranked third among local schools and fourth among fellow Erskine elementary charter schools.
Belton Preparatory Academy had 78.4% of students meeting or exceeding SC Ready standards in English/Language Arts. That ranks BPA 11th in the state among 667 elementary schools, and places it in the top 2% statewide. In Math, 83.9% met or exceeded SC ready standards, ranking BPA 6th in South Carolina, and placing it in the top 1% statewide. In Science, 68.4% met or exceeded SC PASS standards, ranking it 67th, in the top 10% statewide.
Reason & Republic also launched South Carolina Preparatory Academy this school year, the state’s first tuition-free, online public classical charter school for middle and high school students. SCPA provides a traditional approach to education for students in the 6th-12th grades who reside anywhere within South Carolina. This virtual school features a rigorous and motivational curriculum that encourages critical thinking and fully prepares students for college and eventual careers.
Belton Preparatory Academy is South Carolina’s first classical public charter school, educating students in K-5th grade. Its mission is to prepare its students to compete with integrity at the highest levels with a firm grounding in free economic theory and entrepreneurship. Summit Classical School is a tuition-free public charter school in Clinton, SC for students in K-5th grades, established in 2019. Its vision is to foster a school climate that molds the development of individual character, sets the stage for academic achievement, and establishes a lifelong pattern of success. Both schools offer a classical education using Eureka Math and Core Knowledge Curriculum.
Reason & Republic is an Education Management Organization which began launching and operating charter schools in 2017. It currently manages Belton Preparatory Academy, Summit Classical School, and the South Carolina Preparatory Academy. These schools are authorized by The Charter Institute at Erskine, whose mission is to certify high-quality charter schools that elevate educational opportunities through innovation and creativity.
To learn more about Reason & Republic, please call (800) 210-2966 or email info@reasonandrepublic.com.
