Resident urges board to preserve Innovation Academy at South Campus

A resident told the Johnston County Board of Education during public comment that the Innovation Academy at South Campus is producing strong academic and social results and urged the board not to move or repurpose its current space.

Charles Brewer, who identified himself during the public-comment period, compared the Innovation Academy experience to a first visit to snow-covered slopes and said the program meets students’ different social and emotional needs. Brewer cited rankings and acceptance outcomes: he told the board the Innovation Academy is “ranked number 1 in the county and number 61 in the state by U.S. News & World Report” and referenced other favorable rankings and steady outcomes since the first graduating class in 2020.

Brewer said moving the school or reconfiguring its space would undermine the smaller, intimate learning environment that he described as central to the program’s success. He urged the board to allow the program to continue in its current form so the community can “continue to reap rewards.”

The public-comment period ended after Brewer’s remarks; no board action on the Innovation Academy was recorded during the meeting.