City: Charleston, SC

Category: Education

Telephone: (843) 937-6300

Address: 75 Calhoun St.

Description: The Charleston County School District operates 80 schools in a 1,000-square-mile area along the South Carolina coast. About 43,000 students attend these schools. The county school system, governed by a 9-member board of trustees, is divided into 8 constituent school districts, each one administered by an area superintendent. These 8 districts, in turn, have elected school boards of various sizes that are responsible for establishing the attendance zones for local schools. The district employs 3,300 teachers and maintains an average pupil–teacher ratio of 19 to 1. The district has been a trailblazer for the magnet school concept, and has now expanded to 22 locations divided among K–12 schools. These special schools serve a student population that is academically or artistically gifted. Located on the Peninsula, in West Ashley, and in North Charleston, they draw students from surrounding neighborhoods as well as areas spread throughout the district. Magnet school educational programs provide an alternative curriculum that integrates resources from the community, higher education, the arts, business, and technology. Call (843) 937-6305 for qualification information, as magnet schools can differ in entrance requirements. SAIL—Students Actively Interested in Learning—is a state-mandated program in place in the Charleston County public school system. Offerings are innovative and challenging, designed to stimulate the academically talented students who are accepted into the program. Creative, critical problem-solving skills make up the focus of the curriculum content through programs such as the Academic Bowl and Odyssey of the Mind competitions, Advanced Placement courses, and a mentor program for grades 8 through 10. For more information on SAIL, call the supervisor at (843) 937-6471. Special needs programs for students with emotional, mental, or physical disabilities are available through the school district as well. The contact number to learn more is (843) 937-6567. All told, Charleston County administers 37 elementary schools, 11 middle schools, 8 high schools, 22 magnet schools, 7 charter schools, and 16 specialized programs. Relying on the phone book for numbers to reach specific offices for the different constituent school districts can be confusing, so here are a list of important contacts in various Charleston County areas for easy reference: Districts 1 and 2, McClellanville and East Cooper: (843) 849-2878 Districts 3 and 9, James Island, Johns Island: (843) 762-2780 District 4, North Charleston: (843) 745-7150 District 10, West Ashley: (843) 763-1500 District 20, Charleston: (843) 937-6598 District 23, Hollywood, Edisto, Ravenel: (843) 889-2291.