CCSD Choice Schools and Programs
Choice Schools Listed by Category
Attendance Zone Magnet Schools
Attendance Zone Magnet Schools have a prescribed enrollment zone that serves students based on their home address within a geographic area of the county. Additional remaining seats are allocated for applicants outside of the enrollment zone. Transportation is provided for all students attending Attendance Zone Magnets who live within that attendance zone. [Montessori Community School is the exception as it does not have an enrollment zone.]
Montessori Schools practice a very specific educational model. The Montessori model was developed in Italy in the early 1900s. It is a child-centered educational approach in which students work with specially-designed materials. It facilitates students organizing their thinking and applying knowledge to real-world experiences. Visit CCSD's Montessori page to learn more about the benefits of the Montessori model. The Montessori Magnet schools in CCSD are also Attendance Zone Magnets (as described above).
Please Note: If a student resides in the enrollment zone for an Attendance Zone Magnet school, a family does not need to submit a Choice application before registering for the school. However, if a family is interested in a Montessori school for PK3, PK4 or grades 6-8, they must submit a Choice application, even if the student resides in the enrollment zone of the Montessori school.
Countywide Magnet Schools
Countywide Magnet Schools have a specific focus or theme. All Students in Charleston County are eligible to apply. Countywide Magnets with admissions criteria have specific criteria that must be met for admission.
|
SCHOOL NAME
|
SCHOOL CATEGORY
|
GRADE LEVELS
|
|---|---|---|
| Academic Magnet High School | Countywide Magnet with Admissions Criteria | 9-12 |
| Buist Academy for Advanced Studies | Countywide Magnet with Admissions Criteria | 3-8 |
| Burke Advanced Placement Academy | Countywide Magnet with Admissions Criteria | 9-12 |
| Burke Lowcountry Tech Academy | Countywide Magnet with Admissions Criteria | 9-12 |
| Charleston County School of The Arts | Countywide Magnet with Admissions Criteria | 6-12 |
| Charleston Progressive Academy | Countywide Magnet | K-5 |
| Early College High School | Countywide with Admissions Criteria (program) Application for 9th Grade ONLY |
9-12 |
| Memminger Elementary School | Countywide Magnet with Admissions Criteria | K-5 |
| Military Magnet Academy | Countywide Magnet | 6-12 |
Charter Schools
Charter Schools: According to the South Carolina Dept. of Ed. 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 SC 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. CCSD sponsors nine charter schools.
The 6 charter schools listed below participate in the CCSD School Choice application process.
|
SCHOOL NAME
|
GRADE LEVELS
|
|---|---|
| Allegro Charter School of Music | 6-12 |
| Carolina Voyager Charter School | K-8 |
| East Cooper Montessori Charter School | PK-8 |
| Greg Mathis Charter School | 9-12 |
| James Island Charter High School | 9-12 |
| Orange Grove Charter School | K-8 |
The 3 charter schools listed below have an independent application and do not participate in the CCSD School Choice application process. Contact the schools for more information.
|
SCHOOL NAME
|
GRADE LEVELS
|
|---|---|
| Charleston Development Academy | PK-8 |
| Pattison's Academy for Comprehensive Education | K-12 |
| Charleston Charter School for Math & Science | 6-12 |
Choice Schools Listed by Grade Level
Elementary Schools
| SCHOOL NAME | SCHOOL CATEGORY |
GRADE LEVELS |
ATT. ZONE | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashley River Creative Arts Elementary | Attendance Zone Magnet | K-5 | |||
| Buist Academy for Advanced Studies | Countywide Magnet with Criteria | 3-8 | |||
|
Charter |
K-5 | ||||
| Countywide Magnet | PK-8 | ||||
| Montessori Charter | K-5 | ||||
| Attendance Zone Magnet | K-5 | ||||
| Edith L. Frierson Montessori School | Attendance Zone Montessori Magnet | PK-7 | |||
| James B. Edwards Elementary School for Global Leadership | Attendance Zone Magnet | K-5 | |||
| James Simons Montessori School | Attendance Zone Montessori Magnet | PK-8 | |||
| Jennie Moore Elementary School for the Creative Arts | Attendance Zone Magnet | K-5 | |||
| Julian Mitchell School of Math and Science | Attendance Zone Magnet | K-5 | |||
| Malcolm C Hursey Montessori School | Attendance Zone Montessori Magnet | PK-8 | |||
| Memminger School of Global Studies | Countywide Magnet | K-5 | |||
| Montessori Community School | Attendance Zone Montessori Magnet | PK-8 | |||
| Murray-LaSaine Montessori School | Attendance Zone Montessori Magnet | PK-8 | |||
| North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary | Attendance Zone Magnet | K-5 | |||
| Orange Grove Charter School | Charter | K-5 | |||
| St. Andrews School of Math and Science | Attendance Zone Magnet | K-5 | |||
| Sullivan's Island Elementary | Attendance Zone Magnet | K-5 |
Middle Schools
| SCHOOL NAME | SCHOOL CATEGORY | GRADE LEVELS | ATT. ZONE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allegro Charter School of Music | Charter | 6-12 | -- |
| Buist Academy for Advanced Studies | Countywide Magnet with Admissions Criteria | 3-8 | |
| Carolina Voyager Charter | Charter | K-8 | -- |
| Charleston County School of The Arts | Countywide Magnet with Admissions Criteria | 6-12 | -- |
| East Cooper Montessori Charter | Charter | PK-8 | -- |
| Edith L Frierson Montessori | Attendance Zone Montessori Magnet | PK-8 | |
| Haut Gap Advanced Studies Magnet | Attendance Zone Magnet | 6-8 | |
| James Simons Montessori | Attendance Zone Montessori Magnet | PK-8 | -- |
| Jerry Zucker Middle School of Science | Attendance Zone Magnet | 6-8 | |
| Laing Middle School of Science and Technology | Attendance Zone Magnet | 6-8 | |
| Malcom C. Hursey Montessori | Attendance Zone Montessori Magnet | PK-8 | |
| Military Magnet Academy | Countywide Magnet | 6-12 | -- |
| Montessori Community School | Attendance Zone Montessori Magnet | PK-8 | |
| Murray-LaSaine Montessori | Attendance Zone Montessori Magnet | PK-8 | |
| Orange Grove Charter | Charter | K-8 | -- |
High Schools
|
SCHOOL NAME
|
SCHOOL CATEGORY
|
GRADE LEVELS
|
ATT. ZONE
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy of Advanced Academics at St. John's High School | Attendance Zone Magnet Program | 9-12 | -- | ||
| Allegro Charter School of Music | Charter | 6-12 | -- | ||
| Academic Magnet High School | Countywide Magnet with Admissions Criteria | 9-12 | -- | ||
| Burke Advanced Placement Academy | Countywide Magnet with Admissions Criteria | 9-12 | -- | ||
| Burke Lowcountry Tech Academy | Countywide Magnet with Admissions Criteria | 9-12 | -- | ||
| Charleston County School of The Arts | Countywide Magnet with Admissions Criteria | 6-12 | -- | ||
|
College of Charleston Scholars Academy at WAHS [Spanish] [video] |
Attendance Zone Magnet Program (Internal Criteria Review) |
9-12 | |||
| Early College High School |
|
9-12 | -- | ||
| Greg Mathis Charter School | Charter | 9-12 | -- | ||
| James Island Charter High School | Charter | 9-12 | -- | ||
| Countywide Magnet | 6-12 | -- |
Early Childhood Programs (not including Montessori schools)
Visitors with questions concerning Pre-K/Child Development can direct their inquiries to the Early Learning/ PK /CD Office - 843-937-7914