Frank Brumley knows a good investment when he sees it. He, along with Daniel Island Company President Matt Sloan, saw the potential of a vibrant community on Daniel Island’s vacant pastureland before the island’s development began. He envisioned a revered center for academic excellence rising from the corn fields at the present day Bishop England High School site. Now, the respected Daniel Island developer, who has been part of the Charleston community for 35 years, has set his sights on another important project - an educational experience for gifted children that is poised to become the first of its kind in the United States.
Palmetto Scholars Academy (PSA), a pioneering public charter school for high ability learners, will open in August of 2010 in a facility in The Navy Yard at Noisette in North Charleston. The school will accept a combined 216 students in grades 6 – 8 in its first year (with additional grades added for high school in each successive year) and there will be no cost to attend. Those with Daniel Island connections, like Brumley, make up a large part of the committee working to ensure the new school’s success. The reason for his involvement is quite simple, said Brumley. Good education is critical.
"It’s never stacked up nationally like everybody in the community would like for it to," said Brumley, of South Carolina’s consistent low ranking in education. "Obviously, people in the community have done so much hard work at all levels of the state and locally, and they continue to work hard. But every little bit that can be added to the formula has got to help. This charter school seemed a way to basically funnel our best and brightest and make sure they get the education they need."
Following in the inspiring philanthropic footsteps of his late brother and fellow Daniel Island development collaborator, Dr. George Brumley, a dedicated child development advocate who was killed in a plane crash in 2000, Frank hopes to continue a legacy of giving back to the youngest members of society.
"His real mantra was that schools and churches are the true fabric of the community," said Brumley of his brother’s vision. "And if you don’t have those, and good ones, well, then your community was probably not going to prosper…So (Palmetto Scholars Academy) is really only a continuation of that theme."
Brumley, who is hosting a luncheon for community leaders and other dignitaries to garner financial support for the school, joins a number of other Daniel Islanders working to prepare for the facility’s fall opening. Among them is Mac McBride, an active island volunteer and former president of the Daniel Island Neighborhood Association.
"Most folks will quickly agree that the education system in America is failing," said McBride, a retiree. "It is failing our children and it is failing to be the engine that drives our economy. The result is that America is falling further and further behind the rest of the developed nations in math and science. We will continue to lose our competitive edge unless we do something different."
McBride hopes that PSA will fill that gap by challenging gifted and talented students in a way that inspires them to excel and lead well beyond graduation. Daniel Island resident Maria Wright, a parent of a state-identified gifted middle school student, couldn’t agree more.
"I got involved in Palmetto Scholars Academy because I could see that my daughter is not being challenged at school," said Wright, who is heading up the fundraising committee for PSA. "I know from my own experience that it’s critical to work at your potential. I graduated from high school at the top of my class, but I was not prepared for the accelerated pace of covering new material in college. I don’t want my daughter to have to deal with the same crisis of developing new study skills overnight when she could be prepared ahead of time."
"I was able to benefit greatly from an inclusive gifted program as a child," added Beth Bast, a Daniel Island resident and vice chairman of the PSA Charter Committee. "And I wanted to create the same opportunity for my children and others in the community."
Dr. Melanie Murphy, a retired teacher and school administrator who moved to Daniel Island in 1998, is serving as the school’s interim director. When asked by fellow Daniel Islander, Dr. Jean Chandler, chairman of PSA’s faculty recruitment committee, to join the charter school team, Murphy did not hesitate to respond.
"I immediately said ‘yes,’ because I thought it would be a great venture and there is such a need for a school that focuses on gifted and talented learners," explained Murphy, who has opened three middle schools in her 34 year career in public education. "…I know firsthand that that (these) students don’t always receive the services they need for them to continue to develop their skills."
The school’s deadline for receiving applications is January 30, but already they are close to their student capacity, meaning a lottery system for placement is likely to be initiated. According to Stacey Lindbergh, head of the PSA Charter Committee, applications have been flowing in from across the region, including Kiawah, Charleston, Goose Creek, Mount Pleasant, and Daniel Island. While a large percentage of volunteers working behind-the-scenes are from Daniel Island, help has come from areas far and wide.
"This school needs to be a model for the United States," said Lindbergh, also a Daniel Island resident. "There are three million gifted children in the United States and recent research shows…that gifted children are languishing behind in the area of No Child Left Behind…So many wonderful things have happened on this (Palmetto Scholars Academy) project. All of the people that are coming forward to work on this is a gift!"
"The turnout of Daniel Island residents does not surprise me," added Bob Graham, another island resident who is lending his support to PSA. "I would be very, very disappointed were this not the case. We are blessed to live in a community with a profound sense of ‘give back’…PSA is a reality that many of my friends and neighbors have enthusiastically embraced and their participation bodes well for the exceptional learning opportunities that will be offered."
"It sparks an interest," said Brumley, of the volunteer effort fueling the school’s positive momentum. "It’s a critical ingredient to success."
True to his visionary form, it seems Brumley may have found yet another field with the potential to reap great rewards. For additional information on PSA, visit the organization’s Web site at www.palmettoscholarsacademy.org.