Lowcountry Leadership Charter School, Meggett SC

Original Research by School Decision on Lowcountry Leadership Charter School

Lowcountry Leadership Charter School is a public charter school serving kindergarten through twelfth grade in Meggett, a small rural town in southwestern Charleston County. The school operates as part of the Charter Institute at Erskine, a statewide charter authorizer that authorizes more than two dozen schools across South Carolina. Meggett itself is a quiet, low-density residential community with deep agricultural roots, once known as a coastal freight hub. There is no commercial downtown; daily life is car-dependent, and the landscape is defined by rural roads, farmland, and waterways like the Stono River and Toogoodoo Creek. Housing values in the area are well above the national median, reflecting the broader Charleston metro influence.

The school’s academic profile shows a split between English language arts and math. Across the tested grades, ELA proficiency rates run from notably strong in the early grades to above-average in the upper elementary and middle school years. Third graders posted very strong results, and eighth graders also performed well. Math tells a different story. While early elementary math results are solid, the middle school grades show a sharp drop-off, with proficiency rates dropping to very low levels in sixth and seventh grade. This is a pattern a parent would want to investigate further with the school, particularly around how math instruction is structured as students move from elementary to middle school. Science results, available for grades four and six, also fall below the levels seen in ELA. Because the state changed the science assessment and cut scores in the most recent year, direct comparisons with prior years are not possible.

The school’s enrollment is relatively small for a K-12 campus, with a fairly even distribution across grades. The student body is predominantly white, with a smaller but non-negligible share of Black and Hispanic students. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Information on special education and English learner populations was not available in the data. Graduation rate data was also missing, so the reader cannot assess how the school performs in this area. That gap may reflect data collection issues; a parent may want to ask the school directly.

Lowcountry Leadership is a regular school in terms of its category, but its charter status means it operates with some autonomy from the local school district. The Charter Institute at Erskine, which authorizes this school, recently underwent a limited review by the South Carolina Legislative Audit Council examining its oversight and operations. The institute has also expanded its number of schools in recent years. These broader developments may affect how the school is governed and resourced going forward.

For a family considering this school, the picture is nuanced. The early literacy results are a clear strength, and the school offers continuity from kindergarten through twelfth grade in a single small setting. The rural, quiet town of Meggett will appeal to families seeking a low-key environment away from busy commercial corridors. The math and science results in the middle grades, along with the missing graduation rate, are areas that warrant direct conversation with school leadership before enrolling. The school’s charter affiliation and the ongoing audit of its authorizer add another layer for a family to weigh. There is active residential growth in the area, but the town remains primarily a bedroom community for workers commuting to Charleston and other employment centers.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=90%Cohort of 39 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 359%

School 59% · District 41% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 449%

School 49% · District 36% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 30% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 64%

School 4% · District 30% · ▼ 26 pts below district

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

Grade 717%

School 17% · District 29% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 834%

School 34% · District 25% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 387%

School 87% · District 57% · ▲ 31 pts above district

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 453%

School 53% · District 56% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 58% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 640%

School 40% · District 60% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 754%

School 54% · District 61% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 872%

School 72% · District 60% · ▲ 13 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 434%

School 34% · District 40% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 626%

School 26% · District 47% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

This schoolCharter Institute at Erskine, 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 4Lower-income46%Higher-income60%14 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income42%Higher-income38%4 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income38%Higher-income76%39 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income65%Higher-income85%20 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income54%Higher-income40%14 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income4%Higher-income5%1 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income13%Higher-income24%11 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income31%Higher-income40%9 pp gap