Choice Schools

What is a Countywide Magnet?

• Each countywide magnet has a focus or theme.
• All students residing in Charleston County are eligible to apply.
• There is no attendance zone. 

Countywide Admissions Criteria Magnet Schools

• Academic Magnet High School (Application Grades: 9-11) 
  • School Description/Summary
    • English
    • Spanish
  • Admission Screening Procedures
    
    • Math Rubric
    • Writing Rubric
• Buist Academy (Application Grades: 3-8)  
  • School Description/Summary
    • English
    • Spanish
  • Admission Criteria
    • Printable version
      
• Burke High School Advanced Placement Academy (Application Grades: 9-12) 
  
  
• Charleston County School of the Arts (Application Grades: 6-12)- Screening Criteria Subject to Change
  • School Summary/Description
    • English
    • Spanish
  • SOA Screening Criteria- By Program
    
    • Band printable pdf
    • Costume and Fashion Design printable pdf
    • Creative Writing printable pdf
    • Piano Printable pdf
    • Strings/Orchestra printable pdf
    • Theatre printable pdf
    • Visual Arts printable pdf
    • PVocal printable pdf
      
      
• Early College High School (Application Grade: 9)
  • School Summary/Description
    • English
    • Spanish
      
      • Screening Criteria printable version
        
        
• Memminger Elementary (Application Grades: K-5) 
  • School Summary/Description
    • English
    • Spanish
  • Admission Criteria

Countywide Magnet Schools

• Burke Lowcountry Tech Academy | Spanish (Application Grades: 9-12) 
  
  
• Charleston Progressive Academy | Spanish (Application Grades: K-5) 
  
  
• Military Magnet Academy  | Spanish (Application Grades: 6-12) 

What is a Constituent District Magnet?

• The school has a focus or theme.
• Most constituent magnets have defined attendance zones. Additional seats are allocated to students living outside the attendance zone but within the constituent district. 

Constituent District Magnet Schools

• Ashley River Creative Arts Elementary   | Spanish (Application Grades: K-5) 
  
  
• E.B. Ellington School of Advanced Studies  | Spanish (Application Grades: K-5) 
  
  
• Haut Gap Middle Advanced Studies Magnet (Application Grades: 6-8) 
  
  • Admissions Screening Procedures 
    
    
• James B. Edwards Elementary  | Spanish (Application Grades: K-5) 
  
  
• Jennie Moore Elementary  | Spanish (Application Grades: K-5) 
  
  
• Jerry Zucker Middle | Spanish (Application Grades: 6-8) 
  
  
• Julian Mitchell Math & Science Elementary  | Spanish (Application Grades: K-5) 
  
  
• Laing Middle | Spanish (Application Grades: 6-8) 
  
  
• Montessori Community School (Application Grades: PreK3-8)
  
  
• North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary | Spanish (Application Grades: K-5) 
  
  

• St. Andrew’s School for Math & Science (Application Grades: K-5) 
  • School Summary/Description
    • English
    • Spanish
  • Admission Procedures
    • Printable
      
      
• Sullivan’s Island Elementary | Spanish (Application Grades: K-5) 

What is a Partial Magnet? 

• The school has a focus or theme and a defined attendance zone.
• In addition, a specific number of seats are allocated to students who live outside the attendance zone but who still reside in Charleston County.

Please note that all Montessori schools listed below are partial magnet schools except for Montessori Community School, which is a constituent magnet. 

What is the Montessori Model? 

Montessori Schools

• Frierson Montessori (Application Grades: PreK3-2) 
  
  
• James Simons Montessori School | Spanish (Application Grades: PreK3-8) 
  
  
• Malcolm C. Hursey Montessori School (Application Grades: PreK3-8) 
  
  
• Montessori Community School (Application Grades: PreK3-8)
   
  
• Murray–LaSaine Montessori School  | Spanish (Application Grades: PreK3-8) 
  
  

What is a Charter?

According to the South Carolina Department of Education and the South Carolina Charter Schools Act of 1996, a charter school is defined as a public, nonreligious, non-home-based, nonprofit corporation forming a school that operates by sponsorship of a public school district, the South Carolina Public Charter School District, or a public or independent institution of higher learning, but is accountable to the board of trustees, or in the case of technical colleges, the area commission, of the sponsor which grants its charter. All students residing in Charleston County are eligible to apply to a charter school.

Charter Schools

Choose an individual school below to learn more about the process and to access an application.

• Allegro Charter School of Music | Spanish (Application Grades 6-9) 
  
  
• Carolina Voyager Charter  | Spanish (Application Grades K-8) 
  
  
• East Cooper Montessori Charter School (Application Grades PreK3-8) 
  
  
• Greg Mathis Charter School (Application Grades 9-12) 
  
  
• James Island Charter High | Spanish (Application Grades 9-12) 
  
  
• Orange Grove Charter School | Spanish (Application Grades K-8) 

The following charter schools below do not participate in the CCSD School Choice application process. To apply to one of these schools, you may access their school websites linked below or contact these schools directly for more information. 

• Charleston Charter School for Math & Science (Application Grades 6-12)
  
  
• Charleston Development Academy Public Charter (Application Grades PreK-8)
  
  
• Pattison's Academy for Comprehensive Education (Application Grades K-12)

Contact Information

For general questions about School choice call 843-937-6582.