Charter pitch: Academy of Performing Arts frames program as a way to close gaps and boost arts education

Pat Hyatt, a lead applicant for the Academy of Performing Arts (APA), presented the group's charter application to the Cherokee County School Board and said the proposal is built around community partnerships and a five‑year budget plan. "The Academy of Performing Arts isn't just a school," Pat Hyatt said, adding it is "an opportunity to lift academic outcomes, to close academic gaps, and to bring something truly new and historic to the students and families of Cherokee County."

The applicants highlighted partnerships with local organizations — including WCCQ radio, Gaffney Little Theater, the Musical Instrument Foundation and the Kids Club of Cherokee County — and said professional support for finance and charter accounting comes from VeriCPA. The presentation included a staffing and curriculum outline that uses the Core Knowledge sequence with arts integration, they said. Applicants also said they are seeking multiple funding sources for startup needs, from grants to bridge loans through nonprofit partners.

Board members asked detailed questions about curriculum alignment, special education services, transportation and how the charter would affect per‑pupil funding for the district. Applicants said they have collected over 320 survey responses showing interest up to their planned 300‑student cap and that some funding requests are already in development. The board did not act on the application at this meeting; public comment and a question period concluded before the chair adjourned the session.