Bridges Prep’s idea for downtown Beaufort campus stalls

Bridges Prep charter school will look outside the city of Beaufort for a new campus after plans to build downtown stalled, according to a school news release.

The school was approved last year for a $10 million loan and planned to build a large campus at 1100 Boundary St. But a lack of parking and other logistical issues have caused school officials to rethink those plans.

The board of directors is now looking for land outside the city that could consolidate its three school locations, as well as allow for athletics fields, the release said.

Dee Matthews, the school’s board chairman, said the city is concerned with traffic flow in the area during drop-off and pick-up times.

“We understand that, and we want to be good neighbors,” Matthews said in the release.

A traffic study paid for by the school showed that Bridges would have to pay for improvements to Newcastle Street and add on-street parking. to allow for the long drop-off and pick-up lines. The school planned to stagger drop-off and pick-up times to keep traffic from backing up.

Bridges Prep was chartered in 2012 and opened in August 2013. Ninth grade will be added in the fall, with a grade added each year until the school includes kindergarten through high school.

The school will continue to operate in its current locations for the upcoming school year. Kindergarten through second grade is on Lady’s Island, third grade through sixth grade is on Boundary Street and seventh grade through ninth grade will be on Greene Street.

Bridges named a new head of school in February.

In securing the low-interest loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the school planned to add 35,000 square feet to its existing Boundary Street building. Plans included building a two-story addition in front of its current building and another smaller addition.

The existing building would have been renovated to accommodate kindergarten through eighth grade classes.

This story was originally published May 26, 2016 at 10:51 AM with the headline "Bridges Prep’s idea for downtown Beaufort campus stalls."