Conway, SC – The driving force behind Atlantic Collegiate Academy from the very start, principal Michael Lorenz, announced to his staff today that he is departing from the school at the end of the current school year.
 
Lorenz moved with his family to Horry County in 2022 from Beaufort County where he served as Assistant Principal at Hilton Head Island High for six years. He announced he will be returning to Beaufort County to lead the newest member of the Pinnacle Charter Academies family, Marshview Collegiate Academy, which is scheduled to open in the fall of 2025 in the Hardeeville area serving students in the Hilton Head, Bluffton and surrounding areas.
 
"It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing my departure from Atlantic Collegiate Academy," Lorenz said. "After the completion of this school year I am taking the position of Principal for our new sister charter school. Marshview Collegiate Academy. This has been a very difficult decision for me because I truly love ACA and all the amazing students, teachers, coaches and parents I have been blessed to get to know over the last two years.
 
"ACA is such a special and amazing school, and the Armada will continue to sail in the right direction! We earned an excellent on our state report card in our first year because of our team. We have an amazing team of administrators, support staff, teachers, coaches and parent support and, with this team, I know ACA's vision and culture will not change. Nothing will stop the Armada mission of giving students the very best education possible."
 
A native of Manitowoc, Wisc., Lorenz overcame severe dyslexia to not only flourish in high school, but to earn a scholarship to play football at the University of Wisconsin. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from UW in 2004 before earning a Post Baccalaureate from Concordia University in Madison in 2007. He went on to earn a Master's Degree in Technology Education from Lesley University in Boston, Mass., in 2010.
 
"Mike was instrumental in opening ACA," Pinnacle Charter Academies CEO Mike D'Angelo said. "His leadership in developing a culture of caring through a small, safe and family focused setting at ACA, is directly related to ACA's success, including an 'EXCELLENT' academic rating from the State of South Carolina in its first year. Mike will be missed at ACA but welcomed at Marshview Collegiate Academy. We are so proud to keep him in the Pinnacle family."
 
Lorez began his career as an educator at Lake Geneva High in Wisconsin, teaching history and social studies, coaching football and working with at-risk students. He moved with his wife, Courtney, to Hilton Head in 2014, continuing to teach and coach while earning a second Master's Degree, this one in Educational Leadership from the American College of Education in Indianapolis, Ind.
 
"Since I am still going to be in the Pinnacle Charter Academies family and will be the principal at our new sister school, I will continue to work closely with the ACA administration team while trying to replicate the success we have enjoyed here with the students in the Hardeeville area," Lorenz said.
 
In addition to his wife, the Lorenz family includes three children, daughter Ellie, currently a sophomore at ACA and a member of the volleyball team, and sons Ivan and Elijah.

About Atlantic Collegiate Academy: Atlantic Collegiate Academy (ACA), located in Myrtle Beach, S.C., serves high school students in a safe, small and family-centered setting. Our students seek the opportunity and challenge of rigorous curriculum, high academic standards and elite athletics while also earning up to two years of college credit. ACA serves students in grades 9-12 using an honors curriculum in 9th and 10 grades with a dual enrollment curriculum in 11th and 12th grades. Learn more about ACA by visiting our website at AtlanticCollegiate.Academy and by following us on social media on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.