Parents load one of several buses headed for the Monday night board meeting. (Joe Oneill/WCIV)
By Nikki Gaskins
ngaskins@abcnews4.com
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV)—Parents and faculty at one low country school are breathing a big, sight of relief. On Monday, members of the Charleston County school board voted unanimously to renew the charter of Orange Grove Elementary School.
Under state law, the school charter will remain in effect for ten years.
During Monday night's meeting, it was standing room only as more than 200 people filled the room in support of the school.
"I couldn't be happier and more thrilled for Orange Grove," stated parent, Bill Rese.
In existence since 1963, Rese supports the school's charter 100 percent.
"I'm the parent of a first grader whose education there has been wonderful," state Rese.
Orange Grove is one of eight charter schools in Charleston County.
"The advantage of being a charter school is that we can offer so many special things for our children like academic specialists, lower class sizes," stated Lori Berry, a teacher at the school for twelve years.
According to Berry, the school converted to a charter in 2006.
"It's just a great wonderful environment," stated Berry.
Unlike traditional public schools, charter schools operate independently of the local school district's mandates. Had the district voted to deny the charter for Orange Grove, parents like Rese, believe they would have little control over their child's education.
"There would have been input coming in from bureaucracy that would have undermined the efforts of the good people who are running the school," stated Rese.
The school currently serves about 825 students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grades and already has many young supporters.
"They teach me very, very hard and I'm probably going to end up as a great student," stated third grader, Cici Repid.
School board member, Chris Fraser, says the charter renewal could potentially increase the school's future enrollment to 960.