Waccamaw Academy prepares to permanently close Friday

COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WECT) - After being open for 43 years, a small school in Columbus County that many say has greatly impacted the surrounding community will officially close its doors at the end of the week.

Faculty and staff members at Waccamaw Academy are packing boxes with heavy hearts. After years of struggling to stay afloat financially, administrators and board members for the school off say the time has come to say goodbye.

This year, Waccamaw Academy had just 92 students enrolled. In previous years, the enrollment was sometimes more than 200.

"It's been an emotional past few weeks. Friday at our awards banquet this morning and graduation, many people will be holding back tears. We're like family." said Dennis Williamson, the school's headmaster.

Friday will mark an end of an era for the private school that's helped mold many leaders in Columbus County.

"We've had many doctors, lawyers, pharmacists come through here. What's great about that is, many have also sent their kids here." Said Williamson.

Tuition at the school is $4,500 a year. Administrators say that when the economy tanked, many parents had to withdraw their kids.

Officials with Columbus Christian Academy are in the process of buying the building and plan to move both of their schools to the location where Waccamaw Academy sits.

For students who attend Waccamaw, it means school as they've known it for years will never be the same.

"Many of their parents say they'll probably enroll them in public school," said Williamson. "Some plan to enroll at Columbus Christian Academy."

Williamson says there are 22 teachers at Waccamaw, many of whom are retirees who simply loved teaching.

Many will likely go back to being retired.

The transaction between Columbus Christian and Waccamaw closes June 8.

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