VALDOSTA — Yesterday, Jan. 21, Valdosta’s newest school, Scintilla Charter Academy broke ground. People from all over came to watch the groundbreaking including teachers, chamber of commerce members, builders, city officials, and new students.

“Dreams do come true, and God does answer prayers. Valdosta, this is your school, you signed the petition, you wrote the support letters, you chose to sign your child up to this school. You are choosing to tell other families about Scintilla and if this is going to be the fit for your child,” Julie Hiers, principal of Scintilla said.

Hiers thanked multiple people for her success, four of them were Scintilla’s founding teachers; Erica Luke, Debbie Santana, Lauren Baker, and Hannah Summers. The women arrived with colorful shovels to stand by Hiers on the site and future home of Scintilla Charter Academy.

“They have wiped every tear, they have looked over every line of the petition we had to write, they were there every step of the way. You are looking at the best teachers in Valdosta and Lowndes County right now,” Hiers said.

The ceremony ended with the lighting of sparklers in reference to the the definition of Scintilla which is; a tiny trace or spark of a specified quality or feeling.