Parents have a growing array of options to find the school that will best meet the needs of their children. Here is some information that can help you identify the options available to you and the best option for your child.
Why should you choose your child’s school?
Parents, guardians, and caregivers care deeply about their children and want to see them succeed in school and in life. Because parents are in the best position to know each child’s unique interests, personality, strengths, and challenges, they can best determine which type of school will complement those qualities and be best equipped to help their child achieve his or her goals.
How are Public Schools different from Private or Homeschools?
Public schools are funded through a combination of local, state, and federal dollars; students attend free of charge. School districts are required to serve all students within their jurisdiction; students are generally required to attend the school in the attendance zone where they reside.
What are my options within the Public School Sector?
Traditional neighborhood schools-Neighborhood schools serve families who live within the borders of their attendance zones. Students and their families live near one another and which can help create a sense of community. Your neighborhood public school is required to serve your family without regard to number of children, economic status, special needs, or home language spoken. Neighborhood schools are normally close to home and transportation is provided for students beyond walking distance. Check your local school district website or contact the district office to determine which attendance zone(s) you reside in.
Intradistrict Open Enrollment
Students in some South Carolina districts may have the option to attend a school in their district other than their zoned school. It depends on what your school district policies allow and whether space is available. In such cases, families are usually responsible for providing transportation. To see if this type of choice is available where you live, visit your school district’s website or contact the district office. More information is available from the South Carolina Department of Education School Choice site.
Public Magnet Schools
Magnet schools/programs are public schools that offer a specialized curriculum, not available elsewhere. Magnet schools/programs are designed to attract students from diverse socio-economic, ethnic, and racial backgrounds reflective of the population within a school district. Some magnet schools require students to take an exam or demonstrate knowledge or skill in their specialty to qualify to go to the school, while others are open to students who express an interest in that area. Check your local school district website for information about magnet school opportunities in your area.
Public Charter Schools
Charter schools are public schools of choice that operate with freedom from many of the local and state regulations that apply to traditional public schools. Like public schools, they are free of charge. Charter schools allow parents, community leaders, educational entrepreneurs, and others the flexibility to innovate, create, and provide students with increased educational opportunities. They are sponsored by designated local, state, or other organizations that monitor their quality and integrity while holding them accountable for academic results and fiscal practices.
In South Carolina, some charter schools are part of established public-school districts. Districts that sponsor charter schools include Anderson School District 5, Richland School District One, York School District 3 (Rock Hill), and school districts for the counties of Beaufort, Charleston, Chester, Georgetown, Greenville, Horry, and Lancaster. There are also three statewide charter school authorizers that sponsor charter schools: the SC Statewide Public Charter School District (SC SPCSD), the Charter Institute at Erskine College, and the Limestone Charter Association. For additional information about charter schools in South Carolina, visit the SC Department of Education Charter Schools Program.
Public Online Schools
Online programs allow students to receive their education using a computer instead of taking classes in a school building. In South Carolina, the SC Virtual Charter School is a tuition free public school open to all families residing full-time in South Carolina serving children in grades K-12. In addition, the state sponsored VirtualSC program provides students in grades 7-12 who currently attend public, private, or home schools with access to free online courses that supplement course offerings available from the school where they are enrolled.
South Carolina’s Governor's Schools
Governor's schools are state-funded, tuition-free public, residential high schools that provide an immersive learning experience for high school-aged students. There are admission requirements, and they are highly competitive. These schools are like colleges in that students’ programs are individualized and juniors and seniors live on campus. There is a commitment to provide opportunities to diverse populations from across the state to attend these schools. For more information on these schools, visit their websites: SC Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities and SC Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics.
Other Options
Educational Scholarship Trust Fund Program
The State of South Carolina now offers a limited number of $6,000 scholarships annually to qualifying low and moderate-income SC families of K-12 students. Parents can use these scholarships towards a number of different types of approved educational expenses such as private school tuition and fees, tutoring, and educational goods and services such as occupational, physical, speech, or behavior therapies for students with disabilities. The application period for the 10,000 scholarships available for the 2025-26 school year begins January 15, 2025; applications are considered on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, visit the SC Department of Education website.