Frequently Asked Questions

Charter schools are free public schools open to any student who resides in the county where a charter school is located.
They operate under the terms of a charter, or contract, established by an authorizer such as the State Charter Schools Commission. Charter schools are held accountable by the authorizing agency in the areas of high student academic achievement, sound financial management, and organizational stability.

SCA’s vision is to provide a spark to ignite a community of people who are excited about the innovative education of our children. We believe that learning should be fun and challenging.
SCA values highly qualified, effective teachers that engage both parents and the community in our scholars’ educational and character development.
Family support and involvement are essential to success. Families are welcomed into the school and their participation in every aspect of a scholar’s educational journey is expected.
SCA is open to students of all ability levels, including but not limited to special education, gifted students, and English Language Learners. We expect our students to learn at their highest level of capability.
We believe our innovative small school design and a focus on project-based and service learning improves student achievement for our scholars.

The definition of the word scintilla is a tiny spark. The purpose of Scintilla Charter Academy is to ignite a spark in its students as we inspire in them a love for learning.

SCA believes in an expanded definition of scholar achievement-building scholars’ academic knowledge and skills, habits of character, and high quality student work.
SCA believes that how children learn is as important as what they learn, and that academic success is inextricably tied to building social-emotional competencies. A morning meeting referred to as “Crew” is held in primary and elementary classrooms each morning. In middle grades, scholars participate in a dedicated advising block where they engage in goal setting, receive explicit instruction in social-emotional learning (SEL) skills, and receive support in self-evaluation of the Spartan 10: Habits of Character.  Friday assemblies are held to bring SCA scholars and staff members together to celebrate school-wide accomplishments including exemplary character as well as academic achievements. This school-wide weekly meeting is referred to as “Spartan Circle” for lower and elementary school scholars and a “Spartan Showcase” for middle and upper school scholars. These gatherings are a critical part of the framework that supports our school culture.
SCA’s Habits of Character include Respect, Perseverance, Responsibility and Service and are a critical piece of our approach to learning. Character targets are posted in addition to learning targets each day and focused on during a daily morning meeting in the classroom. Scholars work to become effective learners, to become ethical people, and to contribute to a better world. The ability to create complex work, demonstrate craftsmanship, and create authentic work are the key components of producing high-quality work.
For primary and elementary scholars, SCA’s elective opportunities include Art, Physical Education, Music/Theatre, and STEAM. For middle school scholars, elective opportunities expand to include Visual Arts, Design, Spanish, Band, and Health and Physical Education. In addition to elective opportunities, middle school scholars are able to choose from a variety of extracurricular opportunities.

In addition to the school day, Ignite, SCA’s After School Program, provides academic and enrichment opportunities to our scholars. SCA coordinates all programs which are led by staff members, community members and local organizations.

Scintilla serves grades kindergarten through 10th grade.  One grade will be added each year until Scintilla fully expands to a K-12 campus. Spark Academy, a private preschool, serves preschool scholars.

Any student, K-10, whose residence is within Lowndes or Brooks County and any of its cities may apply to attend Scintilla.

Click here for information regarding admissions.

Scintilla welcomes all scholars and makes the necessary accommodations to ensure their success.  This includes those in need of special education, gifted programs, and English language instruction.

The school is located at 2171 East Park Avenue in Valdosta.

No. The families who enroll their scholars at SCA will make arrangements for their own transportation.

Yes, free and reduced lunch is provided for those who qualify.  Anyone who would like to participate in this program MUST fill out the free/reduced lunch form available in our front office.

Choice – Parents who live in Lowndes County and its cities can choose SCA, regardless of where in the county they reside.

Small class size – At approximately 20 students, an SCA class is about 2/3 the size of the typical school class. Fewer students per class means the teacher can give more individual attention to each student.

Innovation – Scintilla is a close-knit community where subject content relates to the larger community around us through Expeditionary Learning. Parents are encouraged to volunteer at SCA to help their children succeed. Together, we have built a culture in which the children will thrive.

Accountability – Scintilla and its students are held accountable to a high standard of academic achievement by the Georgia Department of Education and State Charter School Commission.

Scintilla Charter Academy requires teachers to be certified.