Charting a Course to Reach the Summit

Summit Charter School to open new high school building

By Carla Beck

Summit Charter School in Cashiers, N.C., has a unique approach to education. As American rock climber and mountaineer Conrad Anker said, “The summit is what drives us, but it’s the climb itself that matters.” The school's mission is to create a community dedicated to striving for success through place-based learning. This approach stimulates discovery, inspires excellence and nurtures a positive influence in an ever-changing world.

According to Head of School Kurt Pusch, Summit Charter School was established after the North Carolina legislature passed the state’s first charter school legislation in 1996, “The founding of Summit Charter School originated from a group of community members and parents committed to the quality of education in the Cashiers and Highlands area and the potential for another school option for families. Established in 1997 as a K-8 school, Summit became among the first charter schools in North Carolina and has since continued to grow, now serving Kindergarten through 12th grade with over 300 students enrolled.” The 33% increase in student enrollment over the past five years is a testament to the community's dedication. As a result, the Summit Foundation Board launched a “Help Us Reach Our Summit” campaign in August 2023 to fund Phase II of their High School Expansion project.

Although Summit is a tuition-free public school authorized by the State, it operates as “a public school of choice,” according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. This distinction translates to zero state funding for facilities; therefore, Summit relies 100% on private donations to construct and maintain campus buildings. With the expansion of Phase II, the Board initially sought 6.5 million dollars; however, after further evaluating the anticipated costs of the project, they set the goal to $7.2 million and have raised 88% to date. As has been historically evidenced in past fundraising campaigns, the Summit family and the surrounding community have risen to the challenge, reflecting the values of the Summit Daily Pledge: “Each day, in my words and my deeds, I will do my best to live these Seven Virtues: Honesty, Respect, Responsibility, Compassion, Self-Discipline, Perseverance, and Giving.” Each year, Summit families commit to at least 36 hours of family volunteerism and the numerous school-based community engagement activities designed to enrich student engagement and learning. Pusch notes the significance of this place-based learning approach: “By bringing the local community into the classroom and the classroom out into the community, students experience opportunities for increased engagement, greater connection and relevance, and overall deeper learning.”

Local businessman, parent volunteer, and former Summit Charter School Foundation

Chair Josh Crawford believes in the power of hands and feet, “What we can do, we do.” Crawford’s daughter Chloe, a Class of 2024 Summit graduate, sparked a nationally recognized fundraising campaign in 2015 when she set up Chloe’s Lemon-Aid Stand for Education at her family’s local business, Cashiers Farmers Market. The 8-year-old and her classmates dedicated their summers to raising vital funds for their beloved school. Inspired by their perseverance, businesses and community members rallied around their efforts, boosting the total profits to more than $400,000 over the years.

Fast forward to Spring 2022 when Chloe and three classmates, Jazmin Barranco, Sarah Betty, and Edward Marquina, approached the Summit Charter School Foundation about building a new fitness facility on campus. The students discovered that The Club at High Hampton had recently donated gently-used fitness equipment to the school; however, with nowhere to utilize them, the machines were simply in storage.

Summit’s Development Director Melissa Hudson explains that school leadership “tasked the students with taking ownership of the project. They researched the importance of exercise, designed a floor plan, identified a case for support, and presented their proposal to a potential donor.” The project was fully funded within a few months, and the student-designed fitness facility officially opened for the 2023-2024 school year.

The Summit School experience embraces opportunities for personal and academic growth, encouraging students, faculty, staff, and community to come alongside one another in a spirit of collaboration and belonging. First-grade teacher Maggie Sowell moved to the area six years ago specifically to teach at Summit, feeling drawn to the school for the “supportive Summit family.”

Faculty members model and motivate students with real-world opportunities to cultivate life skills and a global mindset. Whether it is hiking to regional peaks, testing water quality along the Appalachian Trail, researching cities across North Carolina, or traversing Grand Teton National Park, students connect outdoor education and service learning to broaden the scope of their academic experience. Ultimately, they become better citizens dedicated to creating positive world change.

Summit’s new high school facility is set to open in August 2024. It will include traditional classrooms, a science lab, a learning kitchen, rooms for individualized education, an outdoor courtyard, admin offices, and a large commons area. For more information about enrollment at Summit, interested families can visit www.summitschool.org/admissions or call the office at 828-743-5755. In 2021, the Summit Charter School Foundation introduced a new fundraising event–the Cashiers Festival of Trees. This event benefits the school as well as other nonprofits across the Plateau. Visit www.summitschool.org/festival-of-trees to learn more about supporting this upcoming annual event.