Please read the information below before beginning the application process. These policies are effective for ALL CHOICE SCHOOLS
Important Magnet Program Information

Deadlines:

  • The link to apply and the deadline for applying online are published on the School Choice page along with the complete schedule of important dates.

Online Application Submission Requirements:

  • CCSD Choice schools fall into the following categories: Countywide Magnet, Countywide Admissions Criteria Magnet, Constituent District Magnet, Montessori Magnet, and Charter schools. Each choice school follows specific seating priorities. Please refer to the CCSD school choice website for all choice school one-page descriptions that include the category of each school and clarifies each school’s acceptance priorities.
  • When you apply online, all required documents must be submitted to the respective choice school or online within the application window.
  • Any application requirements and/or documentation and/or scheduled appointments required by the choice school not completed may negatively impact your application.

Accepting, Declining, or Wait Listing a Seat at a Choice School:

  • Notifications of acceptance will be sent to the email address used to submit the application.
  • Upon accepting a seat at a choice school, the student is removed from the applicant pool of other choice schools for which an application was submitted and a seat offered. Your position on the waiting list of any other schools that you applied for will be released upon accepting a seat.
  • If your student was not offered a seat but received a number in the lottery that is 150 or less and is on a waiting list at a school to which an application was submitted, the student can remain on the waiting list for the 2022-2023 school year.
  • The Smart Choice Dashboard allows families to track their progress on waiting lists.
  • Waiting lists for all magnet schools will be capped at 150 students per grade level and will not roll over from year to year.
  • New applications must be submitted each year unless remaining in an accepted seat at a choice school.
  • All accepted students must verify the home address by June 30 and complete online registration at the accepted school

Help:

  • The online SmartChoice application is easy to use and you may contact the School Choice Office at 843-937-6582 or a choice school for which you are applying for assistance.
  • Some choice schools have admissions criteria or other requirements that must be met in order for the application to be completed and eligible for acceptance at the respective school.
  • Specific information about admissions criteria will be available to you if you apply to a school with additional requirements, or you may visit the web page of each school that interests you to get this specific information.
  • Additional information regarding CCSD School Choice, including Frequently Asked Questions can be found on the School Choice website.
Student Registration Requirements & Policies

Policies:

The Charleston County School District (CCSD) and its Board of Trustees provides an online policy manual for public reference. Some of the policies that parents may wish to read pertaining to enrollment, student transfers, and school choice are as follows:

  • Policy JB Equal Educational Opportunity/Nondiscrimination
  • Policy JCA Assignment of Students to Schools
  • Policy JE Compulsory Attendance
  • Policy JEB Entrance Age
  • Policy JFAA Admission of Resident Students
  • Policy JFAAA Assessing Legal Residence and Domicile
  • Policy JFAAA-E Penalties for Providing False Information
  • Policy JFAB Nonresident Students
  • Policy JFABC Student Transfers
  • Policy JFABCA Voluntary Transfers For Children Of CCSD Employees
  • Policy JFABD Admission of Homeless Students
  • Policy JFB School Choice
  • Policy JI Student Rights and Responsibilities
  • Policy JIE-JIF-JIG Pregnant Students-Students with Children-Married Students
  • Policy JRA Student Records

The online CCSD policy manual provides links to the S.C. Code of Laws and State Board of Education Regulations for reference within each policy, as appropriate. The following is an overview of important requirements and policies. To access detailed information, refer to the online CCSD policy manual.

Entrance Age Requirements:

  • Preschool-age children with disabilities
    CCSD provides for all three­, four­, and five-year-old children with disabilities who reside in the district a free appropriate public education, consistent with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
  • Four-year-old child development
    Four-year-olds may apply for optional child development programs depending on space availability and following state regulations for such programs. Students must be four on or before September 1.
  • Kindergarten
    Students may enroll in kindergarten if they are either one of the following.
    • age five on or before September 1 of the school year
    • substantially began attending a public school kindergarten program in another state which has a different attendance age requirement from South Carolina
  • First grade
    Students may enroll in the first grade under one of the following conditions.
    • age six on or before September 1 of the school year
    • substantially began the first-grade program in another state that has a different attendance requirement from South Carolina have attended a public school kindergarten program for one full school year

Birth Certificate and SC Certificate of Immunization

  • The student’s Birth Certificate and SC Certificate of Immunization are required for registration.
  • The school will provide guidance for special circumstances (e.g., for displaced families, emancipated students, unaccompanied youth, foreign exchange students, military dependents in transition).
  • For questions about the SC Certificate of Immunization, contact the school or the Nursing Services Department at 843-745-2183.

Verifying Residency and Domicile

  • Students who live in Charleston County and are seeking admission to a school or special school program must verify where they live. This verification concerns a student’s domicile, the place at which a person is physically present and that the person regards as home. This requires documentation on the property the student occupies as his/her domicile.
  • Per CCSD Policy JFAAA Assessing Legal Domicile and Residency, the following documents are required to prove a student’s domicile: parent/guardian affidavit, one of the documents in Category I, and one of the documents in Category II.
  • For details on the documents required as proof of residency, see the Residency Verification Document Requirements. (Versión en Español)

Nonresident Students

  • For detailed information on the policy governing the registration of nonresident students, see Policy JFAB Nonresident Students.
  • A student who does not reside in Charleston County cannot attend a CCSD school without Board or district approval.
  • The district shall charge tuition to certain non-resident students. Examples of students who must pay tuition include the following:
    • A student in one county who resides closer to schools in an adjacent county
    • A student so situated as to be better accommodated by a school of an adjoining district
    • A student who qualifies for attendance only by virtue of owning a real property with a tax assessed value of $300.00 or more, pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. §59-63-30
  • For additional information on the billing process, contact the Office of Finance at (843) 566-8105.

Children of CCSD Employees

  • An employee is defined as someone who works at least 30 hours per week on average and works a minimum of 180 days.
  • The district may admit the children of nonresident custodial¹ employees provided the following criteria are met:
    • The parent/legal guardian submits a release form from the school district in which he/she resides.
    • The parent/legal guardian makes an application according to the approved timeline, process, and format as posted on the link below or as found at the Charleston County School District’s website.
    • There is available space as determined by the district’s calendar of capacity and enrollment projections.
    • The parent/guardian must provide annual proof of current CCSD employment.
      • Nonresident tuition charges will be waived for children of employees for as long as the custodial parent of the student remains employed by the district and meet the definition of “employee” as specified in Policy JFABCA Voluntary Transfers For Children Of CCSD Employees.

Online Registration Submission Requirements

  • The online registration process is used to ensure that all required information is collected and updated in the student information system in a timely manner.
  • The registration process begins with the submission of the online form.
  • All required documents, to include the student’s Birth Certificate, SC Certificate of Immunization, and proof of residency documents, must be submitted to the school for review.
  • These documents must be uploaded to the online registration system or emailed to the school.
  • The registration process is not complete until the school reviews all required documents and approves the online registration form.

Paper Registration Submission

  • If you do not have access to a computer or the internet, contact the school for assistance.
  • Paper CCSD Student Registration Forms are available in English and Spanish for extenuating circumstances.
  • The paper form will require a parent to provide the same information as required online.
  • While a paper form is available, the online registration system is the primary means of registration.

Completing the Registration Process at the School

  • All required documents, to include proof of residency, Birth Certificate, and Immunization Records, must be brought to the school for review and approval.
  • The parent/guardian registering the student must provide a copy of his/her picture ID at that time.
  • The school will provide assistance with special circumstances (e.g., for displaced families, emancipated students, unaccompanied youth, foreign exchange students, military dependents in transition).