Polaris Tech Charter School, Ridgeland SC

Original Research by School Decision on Polaris Tech Charter School

Polaris Tech Charter School is a K-12 charter school in Ridgeland, South Carolina, that operates under the statewide SC Public Charter School District. Its enrollment is spread across all grade levels from kindergarten through twelfth grade, with a student body that is majority Black, with a substantial Hispanic population and a smaller share of White students. The school serves a community with very high economic need, as nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available in the reviewed records.

State assessment results from the most recent testing year show performance that parents will want to examine closely. In mathematics, proficiency rates were low across every tested grade. They were highest in the elementary grades but still below a quarter of students, and they dropped sharply in the middle grades, where only a very small fraction of students scored at the proficient level. Reading and English language arts scores were somewhat stronger, approaching half of students in some middle grades, though elementary grades were lower. Science scores, tested in a couple of grade levels, were also low. Because Polaris Tech is the only school in its district that falls within Jasper County, no comparison against neighboring districts was possible. The school is relatively new, and the available test data covers only a single school year, so there is no trend to report.

A graduation rate was not reported. This may be because the school has not yet had a graduating class, but the data provided does not confirm the reason. Families considering the high school grades should ask the school directly about its graduation outcomes and postsecondary pathways.

The school’s location is Ridgeland, a small lowcountry town that serves as the county seat of Jasper County. Ridgeland sits at a sandy ridge between Savannah and Charleston, straddling Interstate 95 with three exits. Its built environment is oriented around highway corridors rather than a dense walkable core. Main Street and Jacob Smart Boulevard are the primary commercial roads, and the town’s amenities include a downtown square with town hall and a cultural center, a farmers market, seasonal festivals, and recreational options such as golf, nature trails, and fishing. A notable institution within town limits is the Ridgeland Correctional Institution, a medium-security state prison that is a major local employer. The town has pursued industrial growth through two business parks and a newly constructed general aviation airport, and it markets its proximity to the ports of Charleston and Savannah and the future Jasper Ocean Terminal as advantages for manufacturing and export companies.

The SC Public Charter School District, which authorizes Polaris Tech, operates as a statewide charter authorizer rather than a traditional geographic district. No recent policy, curriculum, or funding changes for this district were found in publicly available sources.

Given the limited data available, there are several areas a parent would want to explore further with the school. Information on special education services, English learner support, and any career or technical programs was not present in the data. The school’s name includes “Tech,” which might suggest a focus on technology or career pathways, but no program details were available to confirm this. The academic results, particularly in mathematics and science, are areas where the school may be able to share more about its curriculum, interventions, and improvement plans. The high concentration of students from low-income households also means that the school likely receives significant federal funding, and a parent may want to understand how those resources are used to support student learning.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 322%

School 22% · District 50% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 31 pts below state median

Grade 415%

School 15% · District 44% · ▼ 29 pts below district

▼ 36 pts below state median

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 36% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median

Grade 62%

School 2% · District 35% · ▼ 32 pts below district

▼ 31 pts below state median

Grade 716%

School 16% · District 32% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median

Grade 82%

School 2% · District 24% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 331%

School 31% · District 59% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 28 pts below state median

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 60% · ▼ 30 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median

Grade 536%

School 36% · District 58% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median

Grade 639%

School 39% · District 62% · ▼ 23 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median

Grade 748%

School 48% · District 64% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median

Grade 840%

School 40% · District 59% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median

Science

Grade 413%

School 13% · District 43% · ▼ 30 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median

Grade 67%

School 7% · District 50% · ▼ 43 pts below district

▼ 36 pts below state 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.