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<p><strong>From staff reports</strong></p>
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<p>Polaris Tech Charter School leaders applied last week to become a full K-12 school with the 2023-24 school year – adding 250 students in lower elementary grades to the current school with grades 5-12.</p>
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<p>With that anticipated enrollment growth, the Polaris Tech Board of Directors on Dec. 14 approved preliminary work to begin designs for a second facility on the campus, which would about double the classroom space and bring a full gym to Polaris Tech.</p>
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<p>The 25,700 square-foot, two-story, 12-classroom and competition gym addition won’t start until the S.C. Public Charter School District agrees to amend the school’s original charter. Polaris Tech submitted the necessary documentation Wednesday, Dec. 15.</p>
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<p>“As a board, we have believed it is important for Polaris Tech to expand into the kindergarten through fourth grade levels as soon as possible, because families have told us since we opened in 2018 that they wanted a full-family, full education option with the Polaris Tech approach,” Polaris Tech Board Chair Gen. Lloyd “Fig” Newton, USAF, ret., said in a release.</p>
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<p>“We have been talking to the finance people, talking to developers and construction teams, and the time is right for us to launch this expansion once we get approval from the State Charter School District to go K-12,” Newton said.</p>
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<p>Polaris Tech is a state-approved charter school serving 5th grade through high school students. It is a free school (no tuition) that focuses on preparing young people for successful work and college. The Polaris Tech academic emphasis is on six career areas, starting with: Aerospace, Health Sciences and Business Management.</p>
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<p>The school is located on Grays Highway across from the Ridgeland-Claude Dean Airport. Students from Jasper, Colleton, Hampton and Beaufort counties attend the school.</p>
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<p>Student applications are open online now for young people who will be in grades 5-12 next school year – and when the school begins offering kindergarten through fourth grade, families of currently-enrolled students will get admissions preference.</p>
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<p>Student applications are accepted now through March 31, 2022 for the school year beginning August 2022. Go to www.polaristech.org to apply. For specific questions, email info@polaristech.org or call 843-645-0605.</p>
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