Dear Ascent Classical Academies community,
I am writing to provide an important and transparent update regarding our efforts to open a new Ascent Classical Academy campus in the Columbia area.
Ascent began working in South Carolina in 2022 and was approved in 2023 to open multiple schools across the state. We have remained committed to building excellent classical charter schools for families, even as facility development and compliance requirements have made school launches increasingly complex and costly statewide. Unlike traditional public schools, charter schools must secure and finance their facilities through private funding.
In 2025, we secured a facility and development partner for the proposed Columbia campus and publicly announced the location, with the intention of opening in Fall 2026. Unfortunately, as 2025 progressed, the financing environment shifted significantly. In addition, the project encountered unresolved authorizing and contract execution issues that introduced uncertainty that could not be resolved within the timelines required to close financing. As many in the charter sector understand, a final contract is a prerequisite to closing.
Our board executed the charter contract presented by our authorizer, the Charter Institute of Erskine (CIE), in September 2025 and returned it for final execution. However, the agreement was not fully executed by the authorizer. As a result, the school was unable to access approximately $900,000 in competitively awarded federal start-up grant funding. Without a completed contract, viable financing terms, and the start-up grant funds, the development project could not proceed. The deal was called off in December 2025.
As a result, Ascent does not have a viable path to open the proposed Columbia campus for Fall 2026. While approvals remain part of a broader regional charter structure and we are not withdrawing the project at this time, we are pausing our efforts and do not anticipate opening a school in the Columbia area for several years, unless conditions change materially and a responsible, sustainable pathway becomes feasible.
To avoid confusion, Ascent will be removing ACA Columbia web pages and social media accounts. Regional channels will return to a general “coming soon” posture until and unless a clear path forward emerges.
We recognize this update will be disappointing to families who hoped to see this campus open soon. We also want to be clear: Ascent pursued this project in good faith and worked diligently over multiple years to overcome barriers, secure a facility solution, and structure responsible financing. We remain committed to serving families in South Carolina and will continue focusing on supporting our Fort Mill campus and preparing for a successful opening of our Greenville campus this fall.
Families can stay updated on our work in South Carolina at https://southcarolina.ascentclassical.org
With gratitude,
Derec Shuler
Founder and Executive Director
Ascent Classical Academies