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Burke High School Peninsula Promise Pathways

Burke Pathways

Pathways at Burke High School

As part of Charleston County School District’s Peninsula Promise, Burke High School is expanding and strengthening academic and career pathways to ensure students on the Peninsula have access to world-class opportunities close to home.

Beginning in August 2026, Burke will serve as a countywide magnet high school offering aligned pathways in:

  • Liberal Arts (CofC Scholars Academy)

  • Fine Arts (Linard McCloud Cultural Arts Collective)

  • Building Arts (ACBA Partnership Pathway)

  • Expanded Career & Technical Education (CTE)

These pathways are intentionally connected to the work happening at Simmons-Pinckney Middle School, creating a seamless transition from grades 6–12 and ensuring students graduate prepared for college, career, and creative futures.

**For more information about the application process, please scroll to the bottom of this page. To apply, click: School Choice link.

College. Career. Craft. Creativity.

Liberal Arts

CofC Scholars Academy @ Burke

The CofC Scholars Academy provides a college-preparatory liberal arts experience in partnership with the College of Charleston.

Highlights include:

  • Advanced Placement coursework beginning freshman year

  • Dual credit opportunities beginning junior year

  • Embedded AVID strategies to support college readiness

  • Academic advising and structured pathway planning

  • Exposure to college-level expectations and campus experiences

The Scholars Academy is designed for students seeking a rigorous academic experience with a clear pathway to higher education.

**View the CofC Scholars Academy One-Pager

Fine Arts

Linard McCloud Cultural Arts Collective

The Cultural Arts Collective offers an immersive, arts-integrated high school experience built around creative expression and artistic excellence.

Program features include:

  • Integrated coursework across dance, music, theatre, drawing, and visual arts

  • Artists-in-residence and community partnerships

  • Cross-disciplinary project-based learning

  • Leadership development through the arts

  • Public showcases and performance opportunities

Students grow as artists, collaborators, and creative thinkers while meeting rigorous academic standards.

**View the Arts Collective One-Pager

Building Arts

American College of the Building Arts (ACBA) Partnership

The Building Arts Pathway blends traditional academics with exposure to artisan trades and preservation crafts through a partnership with the American College of the Building Arts.

Students engage in:

  • Curated coursework focused on arts, architecture, and design

  • Trade intensives and project-based learning

  • CTE prerequisites in carpentry, building construction, masonry, and related fields

  • Special projects weeks aligned to preservation and skilled trades

  • Career exploration connected to Charleston’s historic and construction industries

This pathway prepares students for both college and high-skill trade careers.

**View the Building Arts One-Pager

Career & Technical Education (CTE)

Burke’s expanded CTE programming includes pathways such as:

  • Building Construction I–IV

  • Culinary Arts

  • Health Science

  • Business and Entrepreneurship

  • Digital Art & Design

  • Project Lead the Way (Engineering)

  • Web Development

Future expansions — including cosmetology and barbering — will be guided by student interest, workforce demand, and industry partnerships.

Students begin career exploration at Simmons-Pinckney and continue with focused, high-impact CTE programming at Burke.

**View the All Pathways Overview

How to Apply

The Peninsula Promise School Choice application window for the 2026–2027 school year opens March 1 at 12:00 p.m. and closes March 31, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.

If your child is interested in participating in any Peninsula Promise program at Burke High School, you must submit an application during this window. Applications will not be accepted before or after the designated dates.

The application link will go live on March 1 at 12:00 p.m.

All Peninsula Promise programs operate within the CCSD School Choice process. Please carefully review the specific program one-pagers for:

  • Seating priorities

  • Eligibility requirements

  • Admissions criteria (if applicable)

  • Grade-level availability

Some pathways may have priority consideration for certain student groups, including current Burke students or Simmons-Pinckney Middle School matriculating students.

**Apply through CCSD School Choice (link available March 1 at 12:00 p.m.)