BEST Skills Academy is an independent middle school and learning center in Greenville County, where students can have their educational needs met at an individual level that is unique to them. Students and parents partner with the educational mentors at BEST to create an educational plan that meets their needs. One unique aspect of our education plan is pacing classes. With pacing, a student can complete a semester-long class in two weeks or move through lessons more slowly and side by side with a mentor. At BEST we have the resources and ability to customize educational plans to meet the needs of the student. We currently accommodate students in grades 6-12.

BEST started simply as a conversation about an ideal educational system. Marquis Flemings and Robert McKenzie recognized the need for a space that can function as both a school in a traditional sense and as a tool to teach important life skills. Thus, BEST Skills was created.  The school provides a small campus feel, where students are known by name and embraced as individuals. In this setting, there is more capacity for support, resources, and collaboration that can be found in a traditional school setting. Personal finance, life skills, organization, time management and self-discipline are a few examples of the many tools for success that can be taught in a school setting.

BEST offers a well-balanced and rigorous academic curriculum with graduation requirements that match South Carolina standards. The academic program leads students on a track through the humanities, sciences, and the arts while organically integrating life skills into the curriculum through mentoring . BEST is committed to a quality program that makes every student ready for higher education. While this is not a requirement of each student, our educational mentors are committed to walking with students down this path through their high school graduation.

Parents are a child’s primary educator and at BEST, we strive to partner with parents and value open communication and close collaboration. We aim to serve parents in the life-development of their children by creating vital relationships with youth pastors, mentors and community leaders. These partnerships will provide students with worldview-shaping environments that will equip them for the life that awaits them.

BEST Skills Academy is a member of the South Carolina Independent School Association.

BEST Skills Academy admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.