York County charter school returns with new name and local board

YORK COUNTY, S.C. — A York County charter school at the center of a financial and leadership controversy has reopened for the new school year under a new name and with new leadership.

Formerly known as Ascent Classical Academy of Fort Mill, the school is now operating as Carolina Classical Academy.

Students returning to campus said they were happy to be back, while school leaders say significant changes have been made since last school year.

The school faced uncertainty in April after its management company reported that a member of the governing board had allegedly removed all of the school’s funds from its bank accounts without board approval.

The move left the school without money to make payroll and raised questions about whether it would be able to remain open.

New Head of School Christina Holzer said families and community members rallied to keep the school operating.

“And I knew that there were families; they didn’t want to go the public school route for different reasons. They could not homeschool. They can’t afford a private school,” said Holzer.

The school is no longer managed by its former management company and now has a local governing board made up of parents and community members.

Holzer said the new structure gives school leaders more autonomy to make decisions locally and respond to the needs of students and families.

“The autonomy that we have, being able to have fidelity to our curriculum, being able to really pursue the virtues that we have, our mission to help to develop children who are critical thinkers,” Holzer said.

Students also said they have noticed improvements, including new teachers and a renewed focus on the school’s curriculum.

“I’m pretty grateful to be back,” one student said.

However, questions remain about what happened to the money that was allegedly removed from the school’s accounts and whether anyone will be held accountable.

School leaders said a state investigation into the circumstances surrounding last year’s financial controversy remains ongoing, and there are no results to report yet.

For now, the school has reopened and is moving forward under its new identity, leadership and governance structure.

©2026 Cox Media Group