Tybee has a school again for our children. Tybee Island Maritime Academy
Tybee approved for Marine Charter Scvhool
A new charter school — with a focus on maritime education, — was recently approved to open for the 2013-2014 academic year by the Georgia Department of Education.
Five-year charters for the Savannah Classical Academy and Tybee Island Maritime Academy were approved by the state board on Oct. 4.
The Tybee academy will be located in the former home of St. Michael’s Catholic School, which closed in 2010. The elementary school will focus on maritime education to prepare students for a career in the shipping, marine science or tourism industry, while integrating the state’s core course requirements.
Tybee students will participate in hands-on activities. They could chart the Mayflower’s course instead of simply reading about the historic voyage, said Carolyn Jurick, chairman of the Tybee academy’s board.
“We are looking for a way to open kids’ minds and be receptive toward maritime through a higher grade,” Jurick said.
The charter calls for 204 students by the school’s fifth year. Tybee will be the school’s primary attendance zone, but children from throughout Chatham will be eligible if there are not enough island residents to fill a grade level.