NC charter school has been delayed yet again. When it now plans to open in Chatham.
A new charter school focused on helping students learn job skills is now scheduled to open in Chatham County in 2029 — five years after it was first approved. The N.C. Charter Schools Review Board voted 7-2 on Monday to approve Granite Charter Academy’s request to delay its opening until fall 2029 . School leaders said the delay will give them time to construct a campus in Pittsboro that would eventually allow them to serve 1,500 K-12 students. “Seeing the development in the area, I’m sure Chatham County is excited to have a school that they’re not running a bond package on,” said Lindalyn Kakadelis, a member of the Review Board. But some Review Board members raised concerns about allowing such a long delay. Granite was originally approved by the Review Board in 2024 with a scheduled opening this school year. Staff in the Office of Charter Schools previously had approved Granite’s request to delay opening until 2027. On Monday, the school sought an additional two-year delay. “I do believe it’s a great endeavor and very purposeful and needed, but we’d be approving an application that’s five years removed from all the original intent,” said Review Board member Rita Haire,
