Palmetto Goodwill to open high school in Spartanburg

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Palmetto Goodwill and its affiliated Palmetto Excel Center will open two new adult charter high schools in South Carolina by the fall of 2025.

On March 14, the South Carolina Public Charter School District board of trustees unanimously voted to approve the new schools which will serve community members in Sumter and Spartanburg, according to a news release.

Once operational, the two new Palmetto Excel high schools will provide the opportunity for Sumter and Spartanburg community members aged 21 and over to earn their high school diplomas and workforce certifications at a fast pace, the release stated. The new locations will bring the total number of Palmetto Excel schools to three, including the first school, which opened in North Charleston in August of 2023 with 150 students.

“This model is the first of its kind in the state. We are removing some common barriers to education many adults are facing by offering drop-in childcare, transportation assistance, academic coaching, college credits, career readiness services, and industry-recognized workforce certifications at no cost to the students,” Palmetto Goodwill President and CEO Brian Itzkowitz said in the release.

Palmetto Excel North Charleston has received over 2,000 applications this year and is on pace to expand to 300 students in its second year on the Trident Technical College campus.

“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, board chair of Palmetto Excel, in the release. “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.”