Palmetto Christian Academy was established in 1992 by a group of parents seeking a Christ-centered education for their children. Opened as an outreach of East Cooper Baptist Church, PCA was created with three distinctive features. It would teach Christian truth, it would serve children covered by God’s covenant with their parents, and it would follow a classical curriculum.
Twenty-five students were divided between a 1st/2nd grade combination class and a 3rd/4th grade combination class in 1992. In PCA’s second year, the school left its Whipple Road location and moved with East Cooper Baptist to its current Egypt Road campus. Beginning with only a school board and no principal in 1992, the school was headed by Jan Pierce, Allen Wilson, Steve Wilkins, and Joe Broome in subsequent years.
By 2001 the student body had grown to 170 students in grades K-8, and in that same year Dr. Joey Shorter was called to lead the school. The year 2005 marked the beginning of the fulfillment of a God-given vision–the extension of PCA’s Christ-center education through high school. Sixteen students enrolled in the first 9th grade class.
After Dr. Shorter’s departure in 2007, Mr. Roger Weaver served as interim headmaster. In 2008, Mr. Richard Cox was named upper school principal, and Mrs. Wendy Putnam was hired as lower school principal after Mr. Mike Hiltibidal took over leadership of the school in January 2008. Mr. Hiltibidal will had the pleasure of presiding over the ceremony for PCA’s first graduating class in May 2009.