IRMO, S.C. — Parents are confused and frustrated after Ascent Classical Charter School announced it would not open next month as planned.
The school cited a permit problem, leaving many families scrambling to find alternative options for their children.
"We start in a month; it's just confusion, shock, and frustration," said Nathan Arnold, a parent whose children were preparing to attend the school.
Now, his family is feeling blindsided on the July 4 weekend after receiving an email from Ascent Classical stating that their kids would not be able to attend what was supposed to be the first day of classes on Aug. 8. The school now says it won’t open until the fall of 2025.
"I mean, we had ordered the books, started prepping them on those things, we had ordered uniforms," said Will King, echoing the frustration felt by many parents.
News19 contacted Ascent Classical for a statement, but they sent out a press release Wednesday afternoon saying:
"The temporary facility required minor upgrades to ensure it was ready to safely serve students. As allowed under state law, the State Superintendent of Education designated jurisdiction for the project to the Town of Irmo in April, that in turn, directed Ascent Classical Academies to submit permit requests through the town and its contractor, CC&I. Ascent’s application for the change of use was accepted by Irmo in early May. On June 26, after two months of discussions and plan reviews, the contractor unexpectedly withdrew from the project claiming the project exceeded the scope of work required in their contract with the Town of Irmo and the town’s leadership supported their contractor’s position.
News19 contacted the Town of Irmo, which also provided a media release which read:
"The Town of Irmo is issuing a public statement to correct any misinformation regarding the recent postponement of the school year by Ascent Classical Academies due to permitting issues.
It has come to the Town's attention that Ascent Classical Academies has delayed the start of their upcoming school year, citing permitting complications. It is essential to clarify that this postponement is not the responsibility of the Town of Irmo. Ascent Classical Academies, as a public school, falls under the jurisdiction of the South Carolina Department of Education and the Office of School Facilities in accordance with South Carolina State Laws.
In May 2024, the Town of Irmo received a letter from the Department of Education addressed to the Executive Director of Ascent Classical Academies, designating the Town of Irmo as the Agency Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) for permitting a temporary school at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, located at 6952 St. Andrews Road. The Town of Irmo did not formally request or accept this designation.
During a review of this letter by our third-party inspectors, it was determined that handling these permitting issues falls outside the scope of our existing contract. However, our third-party inspectors have indicated their willingness to discuss entering into a separate contract with the Department of Education for permitting and inspection services if requested.
Simultaneously, in late May 2024, Ascent Classical Academies submitted plans for review to retrofit the St. Andrews Presbyterian Church for their upcoming school year. The review identified several issues requiring discussion, including traffic concerns related to three nearby schools, as well as fire code and ADA accessibility compliance.
Upon seeking legal advice from our Town Attorney, the Town of Irmo was strongly advised against accepting the AHJ designation due to statutory and contractual constraints. The Town of Irmo does not inspect public schools for permitting, nor is this within the scope of our contract with our third-party permitting provider.
The Town of Irmo now considers this matter a legal issue and will continue to act in accordance with legal guidance."
Families said they've been left scrambling.
"Homeschool is out the window. The co-op window has passed," Arnold said. "Private schools are both very expensive and far from here, and I believe the window is out on those. I don’t know. I have to pivot and check, and see what's going on."
The State Department of Education provided a statement saying:
“The SCDE has had and continues to have extensive conversations with all parties involved. We are hopeful a resolution can be reached to best serve students and families.”