How are the schools?

I get this question A LOT from those moving into the greater Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester County areas. I also make sure to discuss this topic with locals too. The public school system in South Carolina, and Charleston County in particular, is rapidly evolving and there are many myths to dispel.

First off, this is a relative question. Where are you moving from? How are the schools there? What has your experience been? I know that for myself I grew up in a town where everyone went to the town’s one public elementary, middle, and high school. There were no choices other than very small religious or private schools, and I think I turned out okay.

Understanding where my clients are coming from when they ask about schools is an important key to helping them understand their options here in the Charleston area. South Carolina has “school choice.” The amount of choice varies based on the school district. In this post I’m going to focus on Charleston County because the choices vary here more than in Berkeley and Dorchester, but the school ratings that I’ll discuss can be used for those other counties as well.

When I started practicing real estate in this area in 2015 if someone’s home search was strongly based on “good schools” then the clear answer was Mount Pleasant. The town of Mount Pleasant had been benefiting from a county TIF (Tax Increment Financing) since 2002. A TIF is a value capture revenue tool that uses taxes on future gains in real estate values to pay for new infrastructure. This TIF expired at the end of 2016 meaning that the approximate $10 million dollars that had been funneled into developing Mount Pleasant annually would now be spread throughout the county. This Post & Courier article does a great job explaining more. This influx of county tax payer money along with all of the other attractive features about Mount Pleasant drove the real estate to be valued greater than any other suburban area in the greater Charleston area. This desirability is like the tide that lifts all boats. Mount Pleasant schools became desirable across the board first.

The West Ashley area of the city of Charleston is the easiest direct comparison to Mount Pleasant. These neighborhoods are on either side of downtown Charleston and have a suburban/neighborhood feel. In 2015 home values were about half in West Ashley as a comparable home in Mount Pleasant, which is why I chose to buy in West Ashley. I must admit I’ve always been rather pro West Ashley because from a real estate point of view a buyer has more to gain there compared to Mount Pleasant, and West Ashley’s proximity to downtown Charleston is arguably easier than from Mount Pleasant.

So, beginning in 2016 the ever increasing home prices in Mount Pleasant along with a leveled county tax dollar field began pushing home buyers into other areas such as West Ashley, the Park Circle area of North Charleston, and James and Johns Islands. I now have a child in the public school system, and as I have become more immersed in that environment, I have met many other parents and teachers who all have wonderful things to say about all of the schools in West Ashley.

There are 53 elementary schools in Charleston County, 8 of which are in West Ashley. Five of those 8 elementary schools are full or partial charter/magnet schools, meaning that any Charleston County resident can enter their child into a lottery system for placement in those schools. Among those 5 are Ashley River Creative Arts, an art focused elementary school that ranks 6th in Charleston County and 31st in the state, Orange Grove Charter which extends through 8th grade is ranked 4th in the county, and 10th in the state, and St. Andrews Math & Science which ranks 11th in the county.

Beginning at the middle school level students have to test into charter/magnet schools. There are 29 middle schools in Charleston County, 10 of which are magnet schools. A magnet school is one that offers specialized programming to attract students from all over the district. There are 16 public high schools in Charleston County. Amongst these are a music focused magnet school, an arts focused one that ranks 2nd overall in the state, and Academic Magnet High School which ranks #8 nationally!

There are also other great options that I’d recommend looking into such as Montessori and alternative based schools that are all offered in the public school system. Comparing schools when you’re not familiar with the area can be hard, but there are two very helpful sites that I have found. U.S. News & World Report rank all schools on a district, county, and nationwide basis. I am going to link to their website here with all Charleston County schools, then you can narrow down to elementary, middle, and high schools if you like. The other lesser-known tool is the South Carolina School Report Card website. The source of this data is from parent and teacher surveys, and cover many other factors than just test scores such as classroom environment. Plus, you can compare schools directly, which I find most helpful! You can use this website to search by district and/or grade level.

I hope this has been an introductory, eye opening and informative answer to the seemingly simple question, “How are the schools?” If you have any further questions or comments, I’d love to hear them!