Ousted Horry County charter school principal calls on open elections to replace board members who fired him

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — The former principal of an Horry County charter school wants district leaders to set a special election over mounting claims of non-compliance by its current members.

“Get a clean slate. Allow the parents and staff to put seven members on that board for transparency and honesty and professionalism,” Avery Moore, who ran PALM Charter High School for seven years before board members let his contract lapse on June 30, said at a Monday Horry County Schools meeting.

That decision came months after Moore was placed on administrative leave over unspecified misconduct allegations that took place off-site and over the protests of parents who crowded board meetings demanding more information and defending Moore’s record.

News13 reached out to PALM board chairman Ray Hicks via email on Monday.

The Conway-based PALM Charter High School — short for Palmetto Academy for Learning Motorsports — had 162 students during the 2022-23 academic year, according to state Department of Education figures.

It’s also one of four Horry County charter schools.

“There are thousands of principals that don’t get their contracts renewed, nothing new. But it is the matter in which it was done,” Moore told Horry County Schools’ board. “In my 25 years of working in public education, I have not been in a situation that was as despicable (and) unprofessional in my life.”

Moore said PALM’s unique curriculum and hands-on learning opportunities for its students make it stands out nationally.

“I loved what I did at PALM Charter High School. The idea is unbelievable. Today, I think it’s one of the best schools in the nation,” he said. “I think that the magic that happens at that school speaks for itself.”

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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12 . See more of his work here .

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