What's Happening in Spartanburg, SC…

The Spartanburg Preparatory School will be expanding with the addition of more classroom space, as its enrollment has been rising over the past few years.

Tomika Whitmire, School Administrator, said a new wing for the middle school, spanning 24,500 square feet, will be added at a cost of $4m. It will include 10 more classrooms, a new gym, and a cafeteria. There will also be a music room, library, and another science laboratory. New teachers will be hired to teach the additional students. Job fairs are often held for such purposes and advertised throughout a community through poster printing.

Currently, there are 550 students in the school which houses kindergarten through eighth grade. It is a state-chartered public school and is governed by its own school board. It is planned that the school will grow to 800 students.

Whitmire said that the ratio of students to teachers is 13:1, which is lower than that at public schools. This enables students to have more individual attention, where their emotional and social needs as well as their academic needs can be met. In addition to a traditional education program, the school offers music, dance, the arts, and sports, with the team name being the Jaguars.

It is expected that ground will be broken in January with the new wing available for occupancy next October.