School choice is a controversial topic among public school leaders but is becoming increasingly popular with parents. A recent scientific survey of 600 registered voters in South Carolina sponsored by the group South Carolina CAN revealed that 62% think that parents deserve more choices for student enrollment.
The application process for Charleston County School District (CCSD) magnet school and charter schools begins Thurs., Jan. 19 and closes Sun., February 19. On-line applications are available at CCSDSchools.com.
The school district is hosting a School Choice Fair Sat., Jan. 21 from 2-6 pm at West Ashley High School, 4060 Wildcat Blvd (off of McConnell Pkwy). The drop-in event will give parents and students an opportunity to meet school leaders and get help in navigating their way through the application process.
Magnet schools are under the management of the school district and have different admissions criteria. Some magnet schools are county-wide and some have attendance zones. Buist Academy and Academic Magnet High School are county-wide magnets which require high test scores for admission. The Charleston County School of the Arts is a county-wide magnet for grades 6 through 12 which requires an audition or student portfolio.
St. Andrews Math and Science Elementary School is magnet which gives preference to students who live within a specific attendance zone. Ashley River Creative Arts Elementary School is a magnet school open to all students in the West Ashley District 10 constituent school district.
Charleston County currently has 17 charter school options which account for about 10% of the total public school enrollment. Charter schools are public schools governed by an independent board of the directors. Four of the 17 charter schools available to Charleston County students are statewide on-line schools. Some charter schools, such as Orange Grove Charter School (K-8) and James Island Charter High School give preference to students within an attendance zone.
Within the charter school options, some are statewide charters and some follow the CCSD application guidelines. Palmetto Scholars Academy in North Charleston and Lowcountry Leadership Academy in Hollywood are statewide charters which have already closed out their application process.
There are charter school options which meet the needs of vastly different student populations. PACE Academy, located at Grace on the Ashley church on Bees Ferry Rd., focuses on the therapy requirements for special needs students in grades K-12. The Cape Romain Environmental Education Charter School is a K-8 school which takes a hands-on approach to learning.
Allegro is a downtown charter which focuses on music. Unlike the School of the Arts, students do not have to audition. The school now enrolls students in grades 6-9 and will eventually expand to grades 6-12.
Carolina Voyager Academy has a focus on social and emotional student development for grades K-8. It is currently located at the former St. Andrews High School campus on Wappoo Rd.
Charleston Charter School for Math & Science covers grades 6-12. The downtown school has an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
Orange Grove has two West Ashley campuses. The elementary school (grades K-5) is located at Orange Branch Rd., and the middle school (grades 6-8) is located at the former Oakland Elementary building on Arlington Dr. The school takes an individualized approach to learning, with students being challenged to improve in specific skill areas.
Oceanside Collegiate Academy in Mt. Pleasant offers dual-credit college courses so that students can graduate with two years of college credit or possibly an associate’s degree. The school has an application deadline of Feb. 28.
There are four statewide on-line charter schools. South Carolina Calvert Academy serves students in grades K-8, while Cyber Academy of South Carolina, South Carolina Connections Academy and South Carolina Virtual Charter cover grades K-12. Students have the opportunity to interact with their teachers during classes and through e-mail.
Information on all charter schools is provided by the South Carolina Charter School Alliance at SCCharterSchools.org.
There are certainly a variety of schools which give students from all backgrounds the opportunity to thrive. I encourage parents to shop around for the school environment which best meets the needs of their children.
John Steinberger is the editor-in-chief of LowcountrySource.com. to contact him, email John@LowcountrySource.com.
