If you open a school, you’ll be hearing from the District, the State Department of Education, and the Charter School Alliance of South Carolina. So, what exactly does everyone do?
The District receives and evaluates charter school application, and its Board of Trustees votes to approve or deny each potential charter school. The District conducts pre-applicant trainings and also decides what information each applicant must provide in addition to the general application.
“Our mission is that every child should taste success. No child deserves to fail. We provide an individualized, hands-on, engaged learning environment where every child can acquire the secrets to success for college and careers."
The South Carolina Department of Education, through its Office of School Transformation, issues the universal charter school application and its evaluation rubric. It conducts technical assistance sessions for those wishing to open a charter school. The SCDE also decides which charter schools receive funds under the federally-funded charter school planning grant.
The Public Charter School Alliance of South Carolina is a non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to the advancement of charter schools. They provide application development assistance, review written applications before submission, and conduct professional development activities meant to strengthen each applicant’s charter.