The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in English language arts. The lowest is 36% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Limestone Charters Association
Limestone Charters Association is a South Carolina public charter school district serving students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. It oversees seven charter schools located across the state, including Horse Creek Academy, OCSD High School for Health Professions, Coastal High School, Global Academy of SC, Goucher Charter Academy, Atlantic Collegiate Academy, and East Link Academy. Because it is a statewide charter district rather than a traditional geographic district, it has no single home city or town; its schools draw students from various communities, and this profile groups them together for administrative and reporting purposes.
The academic picture for Limestone Charters Association is mixed. In English language arts, students generally perform at a level that aligns with or slightly exceeds state averages across elementary and middle grades. Reading proficiency rates are strongest in the early and middle elementary years, then remain steady through seventh grade, with a modest drop in eighth grade. In mathematics, however, the pattern is more concerning. Proficiency rates decline sharply as students advance. Early elementary grades show a solid share of students meeting state standards, but by sixth grade and beyond, the proportion of students scoring proficient falls considerably, with eighth-grade math proficiency particularly low. Science performance, assessed in fourth and sixth grades, also sits at modest levels. Families should note that South Carolina changed its cut scores for ELA and science assessments recently, which makes direct year-to-year comparisons less reliable. A parent considering this district may want to ask each individual school how it supports math achievement in the middle and upper grades, as this appears to be the area of greatest academic challenge.
The district’s combined proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades places it below the midpoint among Richland County’s six districts. Chronic absenteeism, however, is a relative strength: the district’s rate falls in the top quartile among those same districts, meaning fewer students are missing extensive school time compared to peers in the county.
Enrollment across the association totals in the low thousands, with the largest single grade being ninth grade, followed by tenth. The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Black student population and smaller shares of Hispanic, Asian, multiracial, and Native American students. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, as well as students with disabilities or English learner status, was not available. A parent should ask the individual school for this information, as it affects the level of special education and language support services available.
A significant governance change is underway. According to publicly reported information, Limestone Charter Association announced it will cease functioning as a Local Education Agency in April 2026. All responsibilities are being transferred to the South Carolina Department of Education and the South Carolina Public Charter School District. This shift affects who authorizes and oversees the charter schools in this group. For families, this introduces a layer of administrative uncertainty during a transition period. The state has stated that the aim is to ensure stability and continuity for students, but the change in oversight is a factor a parent would want to discuss directly with any school they are considering, especially regarding how it might affect school operations, curriculum, and enrollment.
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