CCSD Choice Schools and Programs
NEW!
Peninsula Promise is a comprehensive initiative designed to expand access to high-quality educational experiences for every child living on the historic Charleston Peninsula.
Applications open March 1-31, 2026, for the 2026-27 school year
Peninsula Promise
Overview of Schools + Programs [English one-pagers]
All Pathways at Burke [Liberal Arts, Fine Arts, Building Arts, CTE]
Linard McCloud Cultural Arts Collective at Burke
Simmons-Pinckney Middle [Linnard McCloud Cultural Arts Collective & Expanded CTE Programs]
Building Arts Pathway at Burke [Partnership with American College of Building Arts]
Scholars Academy at Burke [Partnership with The College of Charleston]
Priorities for School Choice Elementary Schools [Charleston Progressive, James Simons, Memminger]
Overview in Spanish [Spanish one-pagers]
All Pathways at Burke [Liberal Arts, Fine Arts, Building Arts, CTE]
Linard McCloud Cultural Arts Collective at Burke
Simmons-Pinckney Middle [Linnard McCloud Cultural Arts Collective & Expanded CTE Programs]
Building Arts Pathway at Burke [Partnership with American College of Building Arts]
Scholars Academy at Burke [Partnership with The College of Charleston]
Priorities for School Choice Elementary Schools [Charleston Progressive, James Simons, Memminger]
Choice Schools Listed by Category
Attendance Area Magnet Schools & Programs
Attendance Area 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. Students residing within the school's attendance area receive a higher application priority than those who reside elsewhere in the county. Transportation is provided for all students attending Attendance Area Magnets who reside within the designated attendance area. [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 in 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 Area Magnets (as described above).
Please Note: If a student resides in the enrollment zone for an Attendance Area 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.
|
SCHOOL NAME
|
SCHOOL CATEGORY
|
GRADE LEVELS
|
ATT.
AREA
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy of Advanced Academics at St. John's High School | Attendance Area Magnet Program | 9-12 | Johns Is | |
| Ashley River Creative Arts Elementary | Attendance Area Magnet | K-5 | W Ashley | |
| College of Charleston Scholars Academy at WAHS (serving WA & Peninsula) | Attendance Area Magnet Program | 9-12 | W Ashley | |
| E.B. Ellington School for Advanced Studies | Attendance Area Magnet | K-5 | St. Pauls | |
| Edith L. Frierson Montessori | Attendance Area Montessori | PK-8 | Johns Is | |
| Haut Gap Advanced Studies Magnet | Attendance Area Magnet | 6-8 | Johns Is | |
| James B. Edwards Elementary School for Global Leadership | Attendance Area Magnet | K-5 | E Cooper | |
| James Simons Montessori | Attendance Area Montessori | PK-8 | Peninsula | |
| Jennie Moore Elementary School for the Creative Arts | Attendance Area Magnet | K-5 | E Cooper | |
| Jerry Zucker Middle School of Science | Attendance Area Magnet | 6-8 | N Chas. | |
| Julian Mitchell School of Math and Science | Attendance Area Magnet | K-5 | Peninsula | |
| Laing Middle School of Science and Technology | Attendance Area Magnet | 6-8 | E Cooper | |
| Malcolm C. Hursey Montessori School | Attendance Area Montessori | PK-8 | N Chas. | |
| Montessori Community School* | Attendance Area Montessori | PK-8 | W Ashley | |
| Murray-LaSaine Montessori School | Attendance Area Montessori | PK-8 | James Is | |
| North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary | Attendance Area Magnet | K-5 | N Chas. | |
| St. Andrew’s School of Math and Science | Attendance Area Magnet | K-5 | W Ashley | |
| Sullivan's Island Elementary | Attendance Area Magnet | K-5 | E Cooper | |
|
*Montessori Community has no enrollment zone
|
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 [Enrollment info linked here] |
6-12 |
Choice Schools Listed by Grade Level
Elementary Schools
| SCHOOL NAME | SCHOOL CATEGORY |
GRADE LEVELS |
ATT. AREA | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashley River Creative Arts Elementary | Attendance Area Magnet | K-5 | W Ashley | ||
| Buist Academy for Advanced Studies | Countywide Magnet with Criteria | 3-8 | -- | ||
|
Charter |
K-5 | -- | |||
| Countywide Magnet | PK3-8 | -- | |||
| Montessori Charter | K-5 | -- | |||
| Attendance Area Magnet | K-5 | St. Pauls | |||
| Edith L. Frierson Montessori School | Attendance Area Montessori Magnet | PK3-8 | Johns Is | ||
| James B. Edwards Elementary School for Global Leadership | Attendance Area Magnet | K-5 | E Cooper | ||
| James Simons Montessori School | Attendance Area Montessori Magnet | PK3-8 | Peninsula | ||
| Jennie Moore Elementary School for the Creative Arts | Attendance Area Magnet | K-5 | E Cooper | ||
| Julian Mitchell School of Math and Science | Attendance Area Magnet | K-5 | Peninsula | ||
| Malcolm C Hursey Montessori School | Attendance Area Montessori Magnet | PK3-8 | N Chas | ||
| Memminger School of Global Studies | Countywide Magnet | K-5 | -- | ||
| Montessori Community School | Attendance Area Montessori Magnet | PK3-8 | W Ashley | ||
| Murray-LaSaine Montessori School | Attendance Area Montessori Magnet | PK3-8 | James Is | ||
| North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary | Attendance Area Magnet | K-5 | N Chas | ||
| Orange Grove Charter School | Charter | K-5 | -- | ||
| St. Andrews School of Math and Science | Attendance Area Magnet | K-5 | W Ashley | ||
| Sullivan's Island Elementary | Attendance Area Magnet | K-5 | E Cooper |
Middle Schools
| SCHOOL NAME | SCHOOL CATEGORY | GRADE LEVELS | ATT. AREA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allegro Charter School of Music | Charter | 6-12 | -- |
| Buist Academy for Advanced Studies | Countywide Magnet with Admissions Criteria | 3-8 | Peninsula |
| 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 Area Montessori Magnet | PK-8 | Johns Is |
| Haut Gap Advanced Studies Magnet | Attendance Area Magnet | 6-8 | Johns Is |
| James Simons Montessori | Attendance Area Montessori Magnet | PK-8 | -- |
| Jerry Zucker Middle School of Science | Attendance Area Magnet | 6-8 | N Chas. |
| Laing Middle School of Science and Technology | Attendance Area Magnet | 6-8 | E Cooper |
| Malcom C. Hursey Montessori | Attendance Area Montessori Magnet | PK-8 | N. Chas. |
| Military Magnet Academy | Countywide Magnet | 6-12 | -- |
| Montessori Community School | Attendance Area Montessori Magnet | PK-8 | W Ashley |
| Murray-LaSaine Montessori | Attendance Area Montessori Magnet | PK-8 | James Is |
| Orange Grove Charter | Charter | K-8 | -- |
High Schools
|
SCHOOL NAME
|
SCHOOL CATEGORY
|
GRADE LEVELS
|
ATT. AREA
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy of Advanced Academics at St. John's High School | Attendance Area Magnet Program | 9-12 | Johns Island | ||
| 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 (serving WA & Peninsula) |
Attendance Area magnet Program for students residing in W Ashley & Peninsula (Internal Criteria Review); Application for 9th Grade ONLY |
9-12 | W.Ashley Peninsula | ||
| 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