WEST COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — Gray Collegiate Academy on Leaphart Road in West Columbia will open a new satellite campus on Koon Road in Irmo this August. Principal Brian Newsome says the extension will temporarily house three modulars with 24 classrooms for 6th through 10th graders. “The capacity will be around 650 kids in those modulars, but within those 1st or 2nd years we’re going to build the main campus in front of those modulars, so we can get up to 1,100 or 1,200 students. And continue to expand in capacity. We can also expand to eleventh and twelfth grade when we get that front building there,” says Newsome. Each campus will have alternate course offerings, with students encouraged to take courses in both Irmo and West Columbia if scheduling and transportation allow. For now, the new Irmo location will offer two additional courses in architecture and engineering — those courses currently not available in West Columbia. “How do we take what has been very successful in West Columbia and reach out and reach more children across the state of SC, so I think this is one of those great opportunities where everything just kind of lined up with capacity, desire, and then the marketplace because families are wanting to come here. There are already hundreds and hundreds of students already on the waiting list of this campus, so this campus we expect will be full on day one,” says Cameron Runyan, Superintendent of Charter Institute at Erskine. And while all athletic practices and events will remain at the West Columbia location, a shuttle will run between both campuses every afternoon to transport student athletes to their practices. “We are very, very excited to serve the kids! And that’s a big deal. Any opportunity that we can bring a nonprofit school or a charter school to the Town of Irmo is a positive. It gives more benefits and more advantages to our community!” Says Town of Irmo Mayor Bill Danielson. Applications for both campuses are available in the front office at the West Columbia location or online at https://www.graycollegiateacademy.org/admissions. GCA will be hosting informational sessions about the Irmo campus for prospective families at the Northwest Family YMCA (1501 Kennerly Rd., Irmo, SC 29063) on the following dates: February 6 at 12:30 p.m. February 20 at 12:30 p.m. March 13 at 12:30 p.m. March 27 at 12:30 p.m. April 10 at 12:30 p.m. To sign up for a session, email [email protected]. Interested candidates can access more information about job opportunities here: https://www.graycollegiateacademy.org/employment. Categories: Local News, News Tags: Gray Collegiate Academy, Mayor Bill Danielson, Principal Brian Newsome, Superintendent Cameron Runyan