New adult education center scheduled to open in 2025
A new option for adult education will be available in Spartanburg next year.
Palmetto Excel Center, an adult charter high school located in North Charleston and affiliated with Palmetto Goodwill, plans to expand, opening two new locations in Spartanburg and Sumter in the fall of 2025.
The school received its charter during the South Carolina Public Charter School District board meeting on March 14.
The new charter schools will be modeled after the first Palmetto Excel Center, which opened in August on the Trident Technical College campus.
Palmetto Excel Center Marketing Communications Coordinator Megan Bandy said Wednesday that the Spartanburg campus will admit 150 adult students over the age of 21 in its first year.
Students at Palmetto Excel Centers can earn high school diplomas or industry-recognized workforce certifications tuition-free. The campuses offer drop-in childcare, transportation assistance, academic coaching, college credits, and career readiness services.
“We’ve already seen the impact of Palmetto Excel on students in the Charleston area, where our first graduates are now pursuing college degrees and new career options,” said Lee Deas, the Palmetto Excel board chair, in a press statement. “We can’t wait to do this same life-changing work throughout the state, and are excited to engage the Spartanburg and Sumter communities in the creation of Excel schools that reflect their needs.”
Bandy said that Palmetto Excel has not decided on a location for the Spartanburg campus.
“We are currently exploring location options with the goal of selecting a location that is the best fit for the community.”
Samantha Swann covers city news, development and culture in Spartanburg. She is a University of South Carolina Upstate and Greenville Technical College alumna. Contact her at sswann@shj.com or on Instagram at @sam_on_spartanburg.