Upstate Charter School Information
In 2024, over 18,404 students attended schools included in the South Carolina Charter School District
What is a charter school in South Carolina?
A charter school is a public school with no tuition or admissions requirements.
Some charter schools are “brick and mortar” requiring students to attend in person. Some charter schools are virtual and students attend online. There are some important similarities and differences between charter schools and public schools:
Differences:
A student does not have to live in a specific attendance zone to attend a charter school.
Charter schools must have a lottery system for admissions if they intend to limit enrollment.
Charter schools have a “sponsor” or “authority” which applies for and is given a charter from the State Department of Education (usually colleges, non-profits, and school districts).
A charter school is governed by an elected board.
Charter schools can have up to 25% of the faculty be uncertified as long as they are not teaching core academic subjects.
Charter schools often have specific themes: environmental studies, foreign language focus, Montessori, or learning exceptions like dyslexia.
Charter schools can, but are not required to, offer transportation or food service.
Similarities:
Charter schools are expected to teach the adopted South Carolina State Standards.
Charter schools must participate in state required assessments.
Like public schools, charter schools must be accredited.
Public schools are organized into districts. Charter Schools are a part of the South Carolina Charter School District.
How does the Charter School Lottery Work?
Charter schools sometimes limit enrollment to a certain number of students per grade level (i.e., 100). If more applications are submitted than spaces available, South Carolina Law requires Charter Schools to have a blind lottery to fill the vacant spaces. Names are chosen at random until the available spaces are filled. Names not chosen are placed on a waiting list. Charter schools are not allowed to have entrance requirements. Students with Individualized Education Plans or other special needs cannot be excluded.
The law does allow for Charter Schools to give priority to returning students, siblings of current students, and children of teachers and board members.
Upstate Private School Information
Unlike public and charter schools, private schools usually involve cost in the form of fees and tuition; although many have tuition assistance programs and needs-based tuition scales. Many also offer monthly payment plans as well. South Carolina legislators are currently considering tax vouchers that residents can use for private school tuition, but nothing has been approved as of yet.
One additional difference regarding private schools is that they can set admission requirements and may refuse to enroll students that don’t meet them. Entrance requirements may include religious affiliation, academic ability or academic learning challenges, and discipline background.
Private schools are not required to participate in South Carolina standardized testing; therefore, comparing schools based on academic achievement is difficult. SOME PRIVATE SCHOOLS ARE ACCREDITED THROUGH COGNIA OR SACS WHICH ARE RECOGNIZED ACCREDITING ORGANIZATIONS. SOME PRIVATE SCHOOLS ARE NOT ACCREDITED.
Colleges and universities MAY accept high school transcripts for entrance from most private schools; however, it is extremely important for prospective students and parents to verify that a college or university of interest will accept transcripts for entrance BEFORE enrolling in a private school.
For the purposes of this website, Upstate South Carolina private schools fall into four main categories. Religious schools, schools with an academic area focus (ex: language or learning exceptions like dyslexia), schools run by business entities, and schools that specialize in Montessori learning. (non-religious), Academic Area Focus (Ex: language, engineering, or learning exceptions). Montessori schools are listed separately by county.
The following lists include the school name linked to the school’s website if available. The religious affiliation (if any), grade levels served, tuition, and student enrollment numbers.
**Important disclaimer: tuition figures are APPROXIMATIONS based on information placed on websites. Often private schools charge different tuition based on the grade level of the student. In these cases, tuition numbers represent an approximate or “ball park” range of grade levels. Some tuition figures are from previous years. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions in tuition information provided.The tuition figures on this list are meant for general reference only and it is the responsibility of anyone interested in a school to verify tuition directly through the school’s admissions office.
Greenville information is embedded. Links to other counties below.
Upstate Home School Association Information
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