Palmetto Christian Academy (PCA) opened its doors as a ministry of East Cooper Baptist Church in the fall of 1992.The school began with three teachers and 25 students enrolled in classes from kindergarten through fourth grade. In 2001, the student body had grown to 170 students in grades K-8. By 2005, the beginning of the fulfillment of a God-given vision to extend PCA's education through high school came into focus when 16 students enrolled in the first ninth grade class.The first graduating class of 16 students crossed the stage in 2009.
This year, PCA celebrated 30 years of Christian education. Throughout the year, staff, students, and families celebrated this milestone and looked back at the 30 years of God's faithfulness through this ministry. The leadership has observed the Lord's provision of students, families, faculty, and administrators, and navigated financial concerns, space constraints, and most recently, a pandemic over the last three decades. "The Lord has provided in each situation," Dr. John Graham, PCA Board Chairman, shared. "We are thankful for and desire the oversight of East Cooper leadership, and it is imperative that we continue to move forward in unity to best advance Kingdom work. We are excited to see how the Lord.
1992: PCA was established as a ministry of East Cooper Baptist Church on Whipple Road in Mount Pleasant, SC.
1992-1993: The academy opened that fall with three teachers and 25 students enrolled in classes from kindergarten through 4th-grade.
2004-2005: The beginning of the fulfillment of a God-given vision to extend PCA's education through high school came into focus when sixteen students enrolled in the first 9th-grade class.
2009: PCA's first graduating class crossed the stage. Sixteen total students graduated.
2013: PCA's athletics moved from 1A to 2A for All-Sports Classification. Today, it has grown to over 20 different teams of various Junior Varsity and Varsity sports, and now has a 3A Sports Classification.
2015: Mount Pleasant Magazine readers voted PCA the Best Private School. This year, PCA continues to be voted the Best Private School for the 9th year in a row.
2021: After nearly 30 years of consistent growth, PCA expanded into a spacious new Student Life Center which opened in August of 2021.
TODAY: PCA has emerged today as one of the area's leading Christian schools, with a wide range of educational programs for more than 820 students from preschool through 12th-grade.