Proponents are eyeing the old J. Paul Beam Elementary building as a possible location for their proposed charter school.

Organizers plan to open the Crenshaw Charter School of Gaffney in the fall of 2011. Spokesperson Carron Dunton said the school has received permission from Thicketty Mountain Baptist Association to use J. Paul Beam Elementary. The ministerial association purchased the building from the district in 1998.

J. Paul Beam Elementary was closed by the school district following the opening of Grassy Pond Elementary.

Dunton said the charter school plans to consult with county building code officials and an architect to determine renovation work needed to meet building codes.

Charter schools are independent public schools designed and operated by educators, parents and local residents. A charter application can be made through the local school district or the South Carolina Charter School District.

The effort to open the Crenshaw Charter School grew out of a conversation several months ago about the poor reading skills found among elementary school students, Dunton said.

“We have students who are struggling in school because they do not learn to read at an early age. After talking about it with several parents, we decided the best way to address this need was to start a charter school,” Dunton said. “Our objective is to meet Adequate Yearly Progress every year. We plan to spend a lot of time teaching the basics in reading and math. It’s important students are able to read and write well so they can be successful in school.”

Students will change classes regularly while receiving instruction in English, math, science and social studies. A yoga class is an example of the innovative electives included in the curriculum being developed for Crenshaw Charter School.

Representatives from the Crenshaw group attended a training session Oct. 1 at the state Department of Education to receive more information about forming a charter school.

Pending approval of a charter, Dunton said Crenshaw hopes to be able to begin enrolling students in October of 2010.