Roofing Contractor in Blythewood, SC

A colossal K-12 charter school that emphasizes patriotism and strong moral values appears primed to open next year on a sprawling plot of land along U.S. 21 in Blythewood that was once home to Policy Management Systems Corp., a long-defunct insurance technology company.

The school’s leaders have not publicly announced the location, but property records and the installation of promotional signs near the office park entrance identify the parcel as the future home of American Leadership Academy Blythewood.

At 3,000 students, ALA Blythewood “will be the largest brick-and-mortar charter school in state history,” Charter Institute at Erskine superintendent Cameron Runyan told a legislative committee earlier this year.

The Charter Institute, which recruited the Arizona-based chain of traditional-style schools to set up shop in the Palmetto State, has approved at least six American Leadership Academy schools and touted plans to open as many as 10 of them throughout the state.

Thus far, only one has opened. American Leadership Academy Lexington, located along South Lake Drive in downtown Lexington, opened in the fall of 2023 and is presently the largest brick-and-mortar charter school in South Carolina with just under 1,900 students.

An American Leadership Academy spokeswoman declined to answer questions about the proposed Blythewood school, which is expected to open in the fall of 2026.

Charter schools like ALA that enforce strict dress codes, stress character development and use a curriculum rooted in Western literature and philosophy have gained popularity among conservative parents disillusioned with neighborhood public schools.

ALA Blythewood’s charter application, submitted in January 2023 under the name American Leadership Academy Columbia, said the school would offer a “moral, wholesome, positive, and clean environment to allow students to learn, explore, and reach their individual potential.”

The school’s location came to light earlier this week when a South Carolina DMV branch located in the same Wilson Boulevard office campus as the future school announced it would be closing to customers in July because the sale of several buildings on its campus left the agency without enough visitor parking.

Property records show a Utah-based company called Portfolio Charter 44 LLC purchased the 85-acre parcel in September 2024. Portfolio Charter is registered to Corey Brand, the co-founder of a real estate development company affiliated with Charter One, the for-profit charter management organization that operates American Leadership Academy.

Brand is also the registered manager for Lexington Charter LLC, the entity that owns American Leadership Academy Lexington.

Portfolio Charter paid JLAM Blythewood Investors LP, a Delaware-based real estate investment manager, more than $8 million for the Blythewood parcel, property records show. JLAM, which stands for Jack Lingo Asset Management, had purchased the property less than three years earlier for only $3 million, according to property records.

Following the sale, JLAM trumpeted the deal in a press release that announced it had “secured a niche buyer that delivered prime pricing for our exit.”

It’s not clear whether the real estate investment manager made any improvements to the 400,000-square-foot property during the 32 months it owned the parcel. The buildings are vacant and appear to be in need of refurbishment.

JLAM did not return a request for comment.

South Carolina’s DMV will permanently close its Blythewood branch after July 4.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) will permanently close its Blythewood branch after July 4, citing the sale of several buildings and parking lots on the Wilson Boulevard campus.

News19 has learned the property has been sold to American Leadership Academy, a charter school that will become the fifth of its kind in South Carolina. According to the academy's website, it will join two other ALA schools already operating in Lexington County and is expected to open in 2026.

Most services currently offered at the Blythewood branch will be relocated to the SCDMV’s O’Neil Court office near Two Notch Road. Mike Fitts with SCDMV said the department is preparing to expand that location to accommodate increased demand.

“The Charter School timeline has moved faster than we expected and we had to go ahead and make this change.” Fitts said.

"We have known about the charter school for several months, but notified us earlier this month that the schedule accelerated and that they need addition space in the parking lot," added Fitts.

The closure has sparked frustration among several Blythewood residents, including local business owners.

“I’m not surprised because this area is being developed and a lot of new businesses are coming into town,” said Ben Berman, a Blythewood resident who owns a car company in the area. Berman called the sudden move an inconvenience for his business.

Others are questioning whether replacing the DMV with a school is the right choice. Pastor Williams, another Blythewood resident, raised concerns.

"They are closing because of a charter school that we don't even need, I mean it's not going to benefit certain communities, I don't think it makes any sense at all," Williams said.

With the branch’s closure, News19 asked the DMV whether another location might open in northeast Richland County in the future.

“No plans are in place right now,” Fitts responded.

In the meantime, SCDMV officials say customers can access services at the O’Neil Court location, the Shop Road branch in Columbia, and the Winnsboro office.

Blythewood residents express frustration as the DMV plans to close a local branch.

BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. — Residents in Blythewood are expressing frustration after the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) announced plans to close one of its local branches, leaving only two DMV locations in the immediate area.

“This is the closest DMV to me and it's way, way faster than other ones. They get you in and out and they're gonna close? This is an inconvenience,” one resident said.

SCDMV confirmed Tuesday that the Blythewood location will no longer serve customers after July 4. The closure is due to the sale of several buildings and parking lots on the Wilson Road campus.

“We will continue to operate our headquarters in Blythewood next door to us, and the Department of Public Safety will continue to operate their offices here as well. The reason for the change is that several buildings and much of the parking space here on this campus have been sold,” said Mike Fitts, public information officer for SCDMV.

A charter school is behind the purchase, and plans are underway to repurpose the site.

“There's a charter school project launching here at this campus and so they're gonna need both the building space near us and the parking space near us,” Fitts said.

Following the closure, DMV services will continue at two nearby locations: O’Neil Court and Shop Road. Additionally, services will be available in Winnsboro. The DMV is preparing to expand the O’Neil Court office to help accommodate increased demand.

“We will be adding to the O'Neal Court office additional customer service locations and equipment. It's going to grow to help meet that demand. Also, we provide some specialized services currently at Blythewood for commercial vehicle drivers, truckers, and buses. That office is going to relocate down to O'Neill Court as well,"

Fitts added that no employees will be losing their jobs.

Despite these efforts, residents say the change will make it harder to access DMV services.

“I definitely don't wanna go to Shop Road. I went there today, that thing was super crowded and O'Neal Court, I don't know, that one be crowded too. I really like this one, so they need to buy this one back,” a resident said.

The Blythewood DMV office will officially close on July 7.

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The South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles announced Tuesday plans to soon close a Midlands branch to customers.

The South Carolina DMV branch in Blythewood will no longer be open for customers after the first week in July, officials said in a news release. July 3 will be the last day for customer service at the 10311 Wilson Blvd. location, according to the release.

The branch is closing because of reduced parking near the location, officials said. Several buildings near the branch on the Wilson Boulevard campus have recently been sold, limiting spaces for customers, according to the release.

While the branch’s customer service operations will close their doors, both the headquarters of the South Carolina DMV and South Carolina Department of Public Safety will remain on the Wilson Boulevard campus, officials said.

Customers in northeast Richland County affected by the closure can visit the South Carolina DMV branch office at 228 O’Neil Court in Columbia (about 9 miles from the Blythewood branch) or the office at 1161 Kincaid Bridge Road in Winnsboro (about 19 miles from the Blythewood branch), according to the release.

The O’Neil Court location will offer expanded services and augmented South Carolina DMV staff to accommodate the anticipated increased demand at that office, according to the release. Officials said that the O’Neil Court location will also become a Motor Carriers service site, which previously was provided in the Blythewood office.

A growing town northeast of Columbia is moving forward with a shift in its leadership’s structure, potentially revoking the sitting mayor’s administrative privileges.

The town of Blythewood has been governed by a mayor and four-person council for years. The council voted Tuesday in a tense meeting to hold a special election to grant everyone on the council equal duties and appoint a manager to run the town’s administration.

Tuesday’s approval will put the change before voters in the town of about 6,000 in a special election set for mid-to-late August. It must take place within 90 days, with the last day of the period being Aug. 27. Mayor Sloan Griffin suggested holding the election on Aug. 26.

Last month, city council members cited the town’s growth as the reason for changing the governmental structure. On Tuesday night, Mayor Griffin provided his opinion on the vote when asked by a resident on the stand.

“I think that everybody’s been lying to you about the real truth behind changing the form of government,” Mayor Griffin said, adding that the effort only began during his administration and he’s had difficulty communicating effectively with council members, especially Mayor Pro-Tem Donald Brock.

Brock told the public he doesn’t trust the mayor and will not speak to him on the phone unless that trust is eventually repaired.

Mayor Griffin gave the sole “no” vote on the ordinance at both meetings.

During a public hearing Tuesday, five Blythewood residents encouraged the council to vote “no,” with several saying the real problem is not the town’s form of government but rather the dysfunction between members. Two citizens spoke in favor of reforming the government to prevent one seat from having too much power, while former Mayor Keith Bailey said the mayor’s existing power is necessary.

“We don’t need a change in government, we need a change in the way that they handle the government,” Blythewood resident Cindy Merritt told The State. “To me, it’s personal. It has nothing to do with things not working right. It’s not working right because they’re not letting it work right.”

If voters decide to vote “yes” in the special election, the mayor’s vote would hold the same weight as that of the other four council members. Administrative privileges would be revoked from the mayor and granted to a city manager, whose appointment was discussed in an executive session. The council discussed holding off on a search for an administrative manager until the public has voted.

The special election would fall near the town’s general election in November. Griffin and Brock’s terms are set to continue into 2027.

Mayor Griffin expressed concern that the special election would cost the town a significant amount of money, but the cost was disputed by council members.

The State previously reported on disagreements city council members had with certain actions taken by Mayor Griffin, including the hiring of two new positions without council approval. The state Attorney General’s Office released an opinion siding with the mayor after the town asked for legal guidance.

Councilwoman Andrea Fripp said in April that the change relates to the town’s recent growth and its future role in the Midlands. On Tuesday night, she listed several grievances with the mayor and expressed the need to change the “one man show.”

Blythewood is poised to see an economic boom from the development of a $2 billion Scout Motors plant.

This story was originally published May 28, 2025 at 3:27 PM.

The State

Riley Edenbeck is a reporting intern for The State newspaper. She is from Chicago and now travels between Columbia and Charleston. She is a master’s student at the University of South Carolina studying data and communication, and she graduated from the USC journalism school in 2024. She has reported for National Mortgage News in New York City, won awards for her coverage at the Carolina News and Reporter, and was a managing editor of The Daily Gamecock.