Palmetto Scholars Academy, North Charleston SC

Original Research by School Decision on Palmetto Scholars Academy

Palmetto Scholars Academy is a public charter school in North Charleston serving grades six through twelve. It operates under the SC Public Charter School District, a statewide authorizer rather than a traditional geographic district. The school is small enough to feel personal for a middle and high school population, and its charter status means families choose it intentionally, often for its academic approach.

Academically, the picture varies by subject. In English language arts, the school shows real strength. Across the middle grades that are tested, a strong majority of students scored at the proficient level or above. Science performance in sixth grade was also solid, with most students meeting the bar. Math tells a different story. Proficiency rates were lower across the tested middle grades, and while that is a common pattern nationally, the gap here is worth a close look. A parent considering the school would want to ask about math instruction, intervention, and how students who struggle are supported before they reach high school. State testing data for high school grades was not available in the information provided. South Carolina uses End-of-Course exams for high school subjects, but those results were not part of the file, so the academic picture is incomplete for the upper grades. The school does have seniors enrolled, but no graduation rate was reported, which leaves a meaningful question about how well it carries students through to completion.

The student body is diverse. Over half the students are white, a substantial share are Black, and a notable proportion are Hispanic, with a smaller Asian population. Roughly a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a middle-income profile with a modest slice of lower-income families. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was missing, so it is not possible to assess how the school serves those groups from this information.

North Charleston itself is a sprawling, car-dependent city shaped by military and industrial history. The former Charleston Naval Base closure redirected the economy toward aerospace and manufacturing, and Boeing now operates a major aircraft assembly facility near the airport. Joint Base Charleston remains a key employer and civic anchor. The city has a mix of older neighborhoods and newer subdivisions, and while there are pockets of civic life around the coliseum and performing arts center, the overall layout is suburban and automobile-oriented. Housing values are near the state average, and rents have been rising.

Because Palmetto Scholars is part of a statewide charter district rather than Charleston County School District, direct comparison to neighborhood schools is limited. The usual district-level comparisons against other Charleston County districts could not be made here because only this school exists in that comparison group. That means a family evaluating options needs to seek out its own benchmarks.

The SC Public Charter School District itself does not appear to have undergone any major recent policy or curriculum changes that are publicly reported. As a single-school charter, Palmetto Scholars likely sets its own academic and operational direction within the authorizer’s framework. For a family drawn to a charter middle and high school with clear strengths in English and a community rooted in the industrial and military character of North Charleston, this school offers a defined pathway. The math results and the missing high school and graduation data are the areas where a parent would want the school’s own explanations and evidence.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=95%Cohort of 67 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

241 schools plotted. 4 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 644%

School 44% · District 35% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 746%

School 46% · District 32% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 830%

School 30% · District 24% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 672%

School 72% · District 62% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 782%

School 82% · District 64% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 872%

School 72% · District 59% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Science

Grade 660%

School 60% · District 50% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 794%

School 94% · District 65% · ▲ 30 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

This schoolSC Public Charter School District, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income57%Higher-income79%23 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income75%Higher-income86%11 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income58%Higher-income78%20 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income26%Higher-income52%26 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income34%Higher-income53%19 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income15%Higher-income37%22 pp gap