WALTERBORO, S.C. - Libertas Academy Colleton, Colleton County’s first public charter school, held a groundbreaking ceremony this morning for its future home. The award-winning, tuition-free public charter school first opened for the 2025-2026 school year and is currently serving more than 250 students in a temporary facility in partnership with Faith Walterboro.
Former Governor David Beasley, who signed South Carolina’s initial Charter School Act into law in 1996, served as the featured speaker during the groundbreaking. In his remarks, Governor Beasley recognized the role public charter schools, like Libertas Academy, play in expanding access to high-quality education in rural communities such as Colleton County.
"Since I signed the Charter School Act in 1996, South Carolina has led in expanding public charter school options for communities across the state, significantly improving access to top-tier education opportunities that meet students where they are,” said Governor Beasley. “This groundbreaking event is a significant milestone and reinforces our state's continued commitment to educational equity for students and families, no matter their zip code."
Libertas Academy Colleton is supported by Tutelage School Solutions, an award-winning education management organization based in the Carolinas. Tutelage School Solutions takes charter schools from initial concept to finalization and works closely with the Charter Institute at Erskine to establish new charter schools across South Carolina.
"Today’s groundbreaking of this permanent campus underscores the importance of delivering an exceptional education to the next generation of American citizens – right here in Colleton County,” said Tony Helton, Founder & CEO of Tutelage School Solutions. "Tutelage School Solutions is incredibly proud of Libertas Academy Colleton and all the Patriot family has accomplished since opening their doors last August, and we look forward to many successful years ahead."
Libertas Academy Colleton’s permanent facility is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2026 and will open to students for the 2026–2027 school year. Once finished, it will serve more than
500 students in grades 4K-8. Families interested in enrolling their children for the 2026-2027 school year can learn more at libertascolleton.education/o/colleton.
“Today marks a major milestone for Libertas Academy Colleton,” said Destiny Grant, School Director of Libertas Academy Colleton. “Since opening our doors last year, we’ve celebrated meaningful accomplishments that were only made possible by the strong support of the Colleton County community. Breaking ground on our permanent home represents an important step forward, and we invite all prospective families to learn more about our school.”
Photos and video of the event and renderings for the facility can be found here. Photo credits to Tutelage School Solutions.