Gray Collegiate delays opening new campus. When will it open now?
Gray Collegiate Academy is delaying the August opening of its Irmo campus, the charter school announced.
A letter from Principal Brian Newsome, which was shared on social media, said the new campus would not be able to open to students on Aug. 4 as originally planned.
“(D)ue to an unexpected delay in the delivery of a key component for our water line — an issue outside of our control — the system will not be fully operational by our originally scheduled start date of August 4, 2025,” Newsome writes in the letter. “While this is a temporary hurdle, we are prioritizing safety and compliance before welcoming students into the building.”
Instead, the new campus will start normal operations a week later, on Aug. 11, Newsome said. Students enrolled at the Irmo campus, which is meant to serve grades 6 through 10, will meet with their teachers virtually from Aug. 4 through Aug. 7. Students at Gray’s original West Columbia campus will not be affected, and Irmo students will have the option of attending in-person sessions there for opening week if they notify the school by 8 a.m. Wednesday.
Gray is also going forward with a back-to-school open house at the West Columbia campus on Tuesday, the letter said.
The Irmo campus at Koon Road and Broad River Road is Gray Collegiate’s second Midlands location after the West Columbia school opened in 2014. It features a multi-purpose outdoor cafeteria and physical education space. The public charter school hopes to eventually host 1,000 students there.
“We know this is not how any of us envisioned the first week for our Irmo location, but we are confident that our planning, flexibility and community spirit will ensure a smooth and successful start for our students,” Newsome said.
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