Gray Collegiate Academy, on Wednesday Aug. 25, hosted a ribbon-cutting to commemorate the opening of its Midlands elementary school campus. Students, parents, faculty, and staff gathered to celebrate the occasion, with special guest Sen. Darline Graham and her family in attendance. Graham’s daughter is enrolled at one of Gray’s other campuses.

GCA Principal Dr. Brian Newsome shared remarks just before the ribbon was cut: “This new campus will open boundless possibilities for the students around Columbia. We are excited for families to be able to ‘start Gray, stay Gray’ through our full K-12 program!”

The ceremony was also attended by Charter Institute at Erskine (Institute) CEO & Superintendent Cameron Runyan, who highlighted the successes Dr. Newsome and his team have achieved at each of their schools. Dr. Missy Brakefield, Institute Superintendent of Schools for Gray, was also in attendance. 

After the ribbon-cutting, parents received a tour of the facility, a visit to the scholastic book fair, as well as a viewing of a “Blacklight Art Show” designed and created by the students at Gray. As the school continues to grow and develop, the Gray team is dedicated to giving students every opportunity possible. 

After experiencing great success in middle and high school education, the Gray team decided to make “the Gray way” a complete K-12 experience by adding grades K-5. The location of their new campus allows parents to drop off students of different ages at multiple Gray campuses. 

The new campus officially opened its doors on August 4th, after several months of construction and design. The elementary campus is located at 1001 Pinnacle Point Drive, a former office building, which is quickly and easily accessible for parents in the Midlands. 

Gray Collegiate Academy (GCA) serves students in a safe, small, family-centered setting who seek the opportunity and challenge of a rigorous curriculum, high academic standards, and outstanding athletics while earning up to two years of college credit while in high school. To learn more about GCA, visit www.graycollegiateacademy.org