---
title: "Opening a private or specialised school in Spartanburg, SC: who pays, and the enrollment a building needs"
description: "Opening a private or specialised school in Spartanburg, SC: scholarships, local tuition, first buildings, and the enrollment needed to own one."
url: "https://325southchurch.com/business-cases/private-specialised-school/"
image: "https://325southchurch.com/images/325-south-church-og.jpg"
site: 325 South Church
date_modified: 2026-10-07
---

[Business cases](https://325southchurch.com/business-cases/) · Private and specialised schools

# Opening or moving a private or specialised school in Spartanburg

Most private-school models should not buy a campus like this one at its asking price: new private schools here start in church rooms or leased or donated space, and local tuition does not carry a building of about 20,000 sq ft bought at $3.3M. The exception worth testing is a higher-tuition specialised school, above all one for students with learning differences, at roughly 70-190 students. This page also covers what any private school needs to know here: recognition, the state's scholarship fund and exceptional-needs grant, local tuition, and how new schools find their first building.

Written for founders and boards of private, Christian, classical, Montessori and micro schools, for heads of Upstate schools weighing a second site, and for leaders of schools for students with dyslexia, autism or other learning differences.

## Decision snapshot

**Model that can carry the campus**  
A school for students with learning differences, taking in about $25,400-$29,100 per student

**Enrollment it needs**  
About 67-190 students; the campus holds about 115-229 at that model's 86-171 sq ft per student

**Building cost to carry**  
About $0.29M-$0.58M a year after a light conversion, held to 12-15% of revenue

**Models that generally do not**  
A Christian school at local tuition (needs the campus nearly full, with no gym or fields), a microschool, or a school relying on scholarship awards alone

**Usual first home for a new school**  
Church rooms, modular classrooms or donated space

**Critical requirement.** A high-tuition school with enough students to keep the building within its budget, and the campus delivered empty.

## What makes a private school a school in South Carolina

South Carolina names no state licence for a private K-12 school. Its attendance law recognises schools approved by the State Board of Education, members of the South Carolina Independent Schools' Association, the South Carolina Association of Christian Schools "or some similar organization", and church-related schools.

- **Recognition route.** State Board approval, membership of SCISA, SCACS or a similar body, or a church relation (S.C. Code §59-65-10).
- **The site.** In Spartanburg's institutional district (GID) a school of any grade, a church and a day care are permitted by right. Elsewhere, check the district first ([the zoning, use by use](https://325southchurch.com/zoning/)).
- **If the school takes the scholarship fund,** it must hold any occupancy permit the city requires, and a school receiving $50,000 or more files a surety bond (S.C. Code §59-8-150).

## Who can pay for a student

Families, first. The Education Scholarship Trust Fund pays only at nonprofit independent schools (and public schools), never charter or for-profit schools. The exceptional-needs grant adds up to $11,000 for qualifying students. A school district pays a private school only when it places the child there itself.

| Money | Who qualifies | Amount and limit | Who decides |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Family tuition | Anyone | The school's price | The school |
| Education Scholarship Trust Fund | Students at nonprofit South Carolina independent schools; households up to 300% of the federal poverty guidelines in 2025-26 and 500% from 2026-27 | $7,500 per student in 2025-26, indexed; participating schools state $7,634 for 2026-27. Up to 10,000 places in 2025-26, at least 15,000 from 2026-27 | The Department of Education and the family |
| Exceptional Needs Children's Fund | Students with exceptional needs at an independent school, religious schools included | Up to $11,000 a year or the tuition, if less; funded by tax credits capped at $12M a year. A student cannot hold this and the scholarship fund together | The fund and the family |
| District placement under an IEP | A child the district itself places or refers to the private school | No cost to parents. No district payment when parents choose the school, and taking the scholarship fund counts as the parents' choice | The district (34 CFR §300.146, §300.148) |

The state's fiscal office estimated that up to 194,000 students might seek the fund once places are no longer capped (2027-28). That is an estimate of interest, not of new schools. The Department reported 1,182 recipients in home-based learning in 2025-26.

What it means for a school's budget: at a local Christian school the award is about the K-6 tuition, so it widens who can afford the school without raising what the school takes in per student. At a specialised school it covers a quarter to a third of revenue per student.

## What Spartanburg-area private schools charge

Three tiers are visible: a church-run Christian school at about $7,500-$11,200, an independent day school at about $17,700-$25,000 with about half of students on aid, and a school for students with dyslexia taking in about $25,400-$29,100 per student.

| School | Model | Tuition or revenue | Scale and space |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Spartanburg Christian Academy | A ministry of First Baptist North Spartanburg; takes the scholarship fund | $7,538 (K-4), $8,611 (5-8), $11,245 (9-12) for 2026-27 | 637 students, K3-12 (2023-24), on its own campus |
| Spartanburg Day School | Independent college preparatory | $17,664-$24,951 for 2026-27; about half on aid; program revenue about $12.0M (FY2025) | Assets of $74.4M |
| Oakbrook Preparatory School | Christian, PK-12 | Program revenue about $5.3M (FY2025) | Assets of $7.0M |
| Camperdown Academy, Greenville | Dyslexia and learning disabilities, grades 1-8 | About $5.43M (FY2025), about $25,400-$29,100 per student | 187 students in a purpose-built 32,000 sq ft building on eight acres |

## Schools for students with learning differences

This is the model whose revenue per student is high enough to carry a building of its own. Upstate examples include a dyslexia school that built 32,000 sq ft on eight acres with a capital campaign so it could double enrollment, an autism-services nonprofit with about $18.1M of program revenue, and a Greenville K-8 school teaching 52 students at a 3:1 ratio.

These schools need more space per student than a conventional school: about 86-171 sq ft, against the 48-55 sq ft converted charter buildings use. No such school is publicly known to be seeking a Spartanburg site (2024-2026), so the demand on this page is a market, not a named buyer.

## How new private schools get their first building

Mostly by borrowing or being given space. Buying a campus usually comes later, after enrollment is proven.

1. A Greenville classical school opened in 2004 with 54 students in a church's rooms.
2. It added used modular classrooms in 2009, and in 2012 took a donated modular office building because it "couldn't afford to pay anything".
3. A Spartanburg early-years school opened with 36 children in a renovated 15,400 sq ft former shopping center. It is now a public charter school.
4. A classical school network delayed its Greenville opening in 2025 "after facing challenges in securing a suitable facility".

Public records and announcements for 2024-2026 show no Spartanburg microschool or private school buying or leasing a building. A campus for sale competes with church space that costs a start-up school little or nothing.

## The enrollment a building of your own needs

Owning a campus of about 20,000 sq ft bought at $3.3M, with a light conversion, costs about $0.29M-$0.58M a year. Held to 12-15% of revenue, that needs about $1.9M-$4.8M of revenue: roughly 67-190 students at a learning-difference school's revenue per student, 78-274 at independent list tuition, 172-642 at local Christian-school tuition, and 254-634 on scholarship awards alone. A microschool of 10-50 learners would spend half or more of its revenue on the building.

Purchase pricethe asking price; change it to test an offer or another building Conversion before opening$330,000-$1,540,000 for cooling and a fire alarm; the default is the midpoint. A full renovation costs far more Cost of owning or financing, % a year8-12% is what facility developers charge; default 10% Building cost as a share of revenue, %12-15% is a charter-school target, used as an analog; default 13.5% Property tax a year$0 for a nonprofit school that owns and uses it; about $72,000-$96,000 for a for-profit school

Building cost a year: **$423,500**. Revenue needed: **$3,137,037**.

| School model | Revenue per student | Students needed | Campus holds | Result |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| School for students with learning differencesabout $25,400-$29,100 per student at a Greenville dyslexia school (FY2025); 86-171 sq ft per student | $27,200 | 116 | 164 at 120 sq ft each | fits, with room to spare |
| Independent college-preparatory school$17,664-$24,951 list tuition in Spartanburg (2026-27), before aid | $21,300 | 148 | 379 at 52 sq ft each | fits, with room to spare |
| Church-related Christian school$7,538-$11,245 tuition in Spartanburg (2026-27) | $9,400 | 334 | 379 at 52 sq ft each | fits only with the campus nearly full |
| Scholarship-fund award alonethe 2026-27 award participating schools state | $7,634 | 411 | 379 at 52 sq ft each | needs more students than the campus holds |

Formula: building cost a year = (price + conversion) × cost of owning or financing + property tax; revenue needed = building cost ÷ share; students needed = revenue needed ÷ revenue per student; the campus holds its 19,728 sq ft ÷ sq ft per student. The 12-15% share is charter developers' target, used here because no published private-school benchmark is available. A nonprofit school that owns and uses its campus is exempt from property tax; a for-profit school is not, and cannot take the scholarship fund. The results illustrate the inputs; they are not an appraisal or a forecast.

## Where 325 South Church fits

325 South Church is one parcel of 2.49 acres with a 12,128 sq ft classroom and office building and a 7,600 sq ft second building, where any school is permitted by right and the second building can be teaching space. On the numbers it fits a school for students with learning differences best. It is a weak fit for a Christian school at local tuition and no fit for a microschool.

| Model | Students needed | Campus holds | Building 2 | Fit |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Learning-difference school | About 67-190 | About 115-229 at 86-171 sq ft each | A gym-like room, maker space or therapy rooms, as teaching space | Plausible |
| Independent preparatory school | About 78-274 at list tuition; more after aid | About 359-411 | Labs or arts space | Possible, but no gym or fields |
| Christian school at local tuition | About 172-642 | About 359-411 | Fellowship hall or gym-like room | Weak: nearly full, no athletics |
| Microschool or hybrid program | More than it will enroll | Far more than it needs | Not needed | Does not fit |

The campus is offered at about $167 per sq ft. Recorded resales of churches, halls and day-care buildings in the City ran at $7 to $77 per finished sq ft. A new building of the same size would cost about the same as buying and converting this one, but would take 18-30 months ([buy or build](https://325southchurch.com/tools/buy-or-build/)).

## The strongest arguments against

- **Start-up schools rarely buy.** The ordinary first home is a church, modulars or donated space, at far less than the price of a campus.
- **The price.** At about $167 per sq ft against institutional resales of $7-$77, a school pays for time and readiness, not for a bargain.
- **No named seeker.** No specialised school has publicly sought a Spartanburg site.
- **The building is occupied.** No public source says whether or when the current occupant will leave, or why the property is for sale.
- **Systems are unknown.** Building 1's cooling, both buildings' fire protection and the floor plans are not in any public record. Adding cooling would cost about $0.29M-$1.44M if it is absent.

### The case ends if

- the school's realistic opening enrollment is below the number in the calculator for its tuition;
- the campus cannot be delivered empty before the school year it is needed for;
- the conversion needed for an educational occupancy pushes the building cost past what tuition carries.

## What to check before committing

### For any building

- Your recognition route and, for the scholarship fund, nonprofit status
- The zoning use, in writing from the City
- A licensed design professional's code review for a school occupancy: fire protection, exits, restrooms, accessibility
- The occupancy permit the scholarship fund requires
- The property-tax exemption application for a nonprofit owner-user

### For 325 South Church

- When the current occupant would leave
- Building 1's cooling, and both buildings' sprinklers and fire alarm
- Floor plans, and Building 2's services and clear height
- Whether a lease or a lease with an option to buy is possible

## Ask about this campus

Ask first for the occupant's exit date, Building 1's cooling, the fire-protection systems, and whether a lease or a lease-option is possible. Contact the listing broker: Tom McMeekin, Pintail · [(864) 921-7924](tel:+18649217924) · [tom@pintailcre.com](mailto:tom@pintailcre.com). The [property record](https://325southchurch.com/property/) shows what is verified and what is open.

## Sources

1. [S.C. Code §59-65-10 (compulsory attendance; recognised private schools)](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t59c065.php). South Carolina Legislature. Accessed 7 October 2026.
2. [S.C. Code Title 59, Chapter 8 (Education Scholarship Trust Fund), as rewritten by 2025 Act No. 11](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t59c008.php). South Carolina Legislature. Accessed 7 October 2026.
3. [Education Scholarship Trust Fund FAQ (archived copy)](https://web.archive.org/web/20260926135306/https://ed.sc.gov/newsroom/estf-faq/). SC Department of Education via the Internet Archive. Archived 26 September 2026. Accessed 7 October 2026.
4. [Financial aid (ESTF award for 2026-27)](https://www.bobjonesacademy.net/admission/financial-aid/). Bob Jones Academy. Accessed 7 October 2026.
5. [Tuition Scholarship (ESTF)](https://www.thomasheyward.org/admissions/estf). Thomas Heyward Academy. Accessed 7 October 2026.
6. [Fiscal impact statement, S.62 (Education Scholarship Trust Fund), as amended](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/fiscalimpactstatements/S0062%202025-02-20%20amended.pdf). SC Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office. 20 February 2025. Accessed 7 October 2026.
7. [Fiscal impact statement, S.692](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/fiscalimpactstatements/S0692%202026-01-13%20introduced.pdf). SC Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office. 13 January 2026. Accessed 7 October 2026.
8. [S.C. Code §12-6-3790 (Exceptional Needs Children's Fund)](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t12c006.php). South Carolina Legislature. Accessed 7 October 2026.
9. [34 CFR §300.146: children placed in private schools by public agencies](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/34/300.146). Legal Information Institute (eCFR text). Accessed 7 October 2026.
10. [34 CFR §300.148: placement of children by parents when FAPE is at issue](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/34/300.148). Legal Information Institute (eCFR text). Accessed 7 October 2026.
11. [2026-27 Financial Information](https://scawarriors.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2026-Financial-Information.pdf). Spartanburg Christian Academy. 2026-27 rates. Accessed 7 October 2026.
12. [High School Profile 2023-24](https://scawarriors.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/School-Profile-2023.pdf). Spartanburg Christian Academy. 2023-24. Accessed 7 October 2026.
13. [Tuition and affordability](https://www.spartanburgdayschool.org/admissions/affordability). Spartanburg Day School. Accessed 7 October 2026.
14. [Spartanburg Day School, IRS Form 990 summary (FY2025)](https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/570371816). ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. Accessed 7 October 2026.
15. [Oakbrook Preparatory School, IRS Form 990 summary (FY2025)](https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/570921126). ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. Accessed 7 October 2026.
16. [Camperdown Academy, IRS Form 990 summary (FY2025)](https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/570820322). ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. Accessed 7 October 2026.
17. [Camperdown Academy: designed for neurodivergent learning](https://www.mcmillanpazdansmith.com/project/camperdown-academy/). McMillan Pazdan Smith. Accessed 7 October 2026.
18. [Camperdown Academy welcomes students in new building](https://digital-release.wspa.com/news/camperdown-academy-welcomes-students-in-new-building/). WSPA. Accessed 7 October 2026.
19. [Project Hope Foundation, IRS Form 990 summary (FY2025)](https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/582324540). ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. Accessed 7 October 2026.
20. [Camperdown Academy vs. Chandler School](https://www.privateschoolreview.com/popular-comparisons/camperdown-academy-vs-chandler-school/25495/54869). Private School Review. Accessed 7 October 2026.
21. [The story of Greenville Classical Academy](https://greenvilleclassical.com/history/). Greenville Classical Academy. Accessed 7 October 2026.
22. [Meeting Street Academy](https://www.mcmillanpazdansmith.com/project/meeting-street-academy/). McMillan Pazdan Smith. Accessed 7 October 2026.
23. [Meeting Street Academy - Spartanburg](https://www.meetingstreetschools.org/school/meeting-street-academy-spartanburg/). Meeting Street Schools. Accessed 7 October 2026.
24. [Ascent Classical Academy welcomes Michael Murphy to Greenville campus founding team](https://www.ascentclassical.org/ascent-classical-academy-welcomes-michael-murphy-to-greenville-campus-founding-team/). Ascent Classical Academies. 20 August 2025. Accessed 7 October 2026.
25. [Spartanburg County parcel cards: recorded sales of institutional and office buildings in the City, 2017-2024](https://qpublic.schneidercorp.com/Application.aspx?AppID=857&LayerID=16069). Spartanburg County (qPublic). Accessed 7 October 2026.
26. [S.C. Code Title 12, Chapter 37 (property tax: §12-37-220 exemptions; §12-37-3135, -3140, -3150 transfers and reassessment)](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t12c037.php). South Carolina Legislature. Accessed 7 October 2026.
27. [Building Valuation Data, August 2025](https://www.kirklandwa.gov/files/sharedassets/public/v/2/development-services/pdfs/building-pdfs/icc-august-2025.pdf). International Code Council. August 2025. Accessed 7 October 2026.
28. [City of Spartanburg Zoning Ordinance](https://www.cityofspartanburg.org/DocumentCenter/View/3063/City-Zoning-Ordinance). City of Spartanburg. PDF dated 30 April 2026. Accessed 6 October 2026.
29. [Spartanburg County assessor report, parcel 7-12-14-355.02](https://qpublic.schneidercorp.com/Application.aspx?AppID=857&LayerID=16069&PageTypeID=4&KeyValue=7-12-14-355.02). Spartanburg County (qPublic). Accessed 6 October 2026.

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