SC Public Charter School District Kids First Podcast · SC Public Charter School District

Greg Thompson | Liberty STEAM Charter School

·21 min·1 clip

Liberty STEAM has 1,400 families on a waitlist, showing explosive demand for its innovative charter model.

This episode features an interview with Greg Thompson, board chairman of Liberty STEAM Charter School in Sumter, South Carolina. Hosts Kevin and Chris Neely, superintendent of the South Carolina Public Charter School District, discuss the school's model and growth. Thompson explains the school was founded because the local education system was not meeting community needs. Liberty STEAM currently serves 920 students from kindergarten through fifth grade. The school has a waitlist of 1,400 families seeking enrollment. It recently expanded into a renovated 65,000-square-foot space in a local mall. An additional 30,000 square feet is being renovated to accommodate grades six through eight. The school commissioned a feasibility study with the Darla Moore School of Business a decade ago. The school's design focuses on serving the STEAM economy and a student population where about 65% live in poverty. A military preference bill allows up to 20% of students to come from military families. The enrollment lottery shows applications from military families stationed worldwide, including Germany, India, England, South Korea, and Alaska. Thompson states charter schools in South Carolina are funded at about 75% of the rate of traditional district schools. A key insight is the school's operational philosophy, which Thompson describes as running education like a service business. Teachers can earn up to 15% additional pay based on performance and hitting specific, weekly-measured milestones. Each classroom features a benchmark board displaying program goals. The hosts highlight the school's culture of inclusiveness and its practice of co-teaching, placing two teachers in every classroom. Chris Neely points to the school's annual growth data as proof its model is working. Thompson emphasizes the challenge of scaling sustainably while maintaining culture and securing financing. The conversation shifts to the broader need for similar high-accountability charter schools in Columbia and the Midlands region. They discuss the importance of workforce development, dual enrollment, and obtaining industry credentials while in high school. The tone is conversational, promotional, and admiring, with hosts frequently praising the school as a statewide model. The style is interview-based, blending personal anecdote with discussions of education policy and business logistics. Listeners interested in charter school operations, education innovation, and workforce development would find this episode valuable. Those seeking critical analysis of charter schools or a focus on traditional public education might prefer to skip it.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from SC Public Charter School District Kids First Podcast