Charleston Charter School for Math & Science

What Charleston Charter School for Math & Science does

Charleston Charter School for Math and Science (CCSMS) is a public charter school located at 1002 King Street in Charleston, South Carolina, sponsored by the Charleston County School District and governed by an elected nine-member Board of Directors. Founded in August 2008 as South Carolina's first STEM-focused middle-high charter school, it enrolls 575 students across grades 6-12 drawn from throughout Charleston County via a lottery-based, no-tuition admissions system with a year-round waitlist. The school delivers project-based learning organized around six career pathways (Pre-Engineering, Computer Science, Biomedical Science, Teaching and Training, Business and Marketing, Environmental Sciences), the first three delivered through the Project Lead the Way curriculum.

The operational technology stack combines Canvas (LMS) for course delivery and parent-scholar pairing, PowerSchool (SIS, via CCSD) for grades and attendance, and Operoo for forms and after-school registration, with MobyMax and Khan Academy as supplemental adaptive-learning resources. Hardware and policy differentiators include a mandatory Yondr Pouch phone-management system (8:00am–3:00pm) and a clear-backpack requirement introduced for the 2025-2026 school year. High-school students can earn college credit through dual-enrollment agreements with Trident Technical College and the College of Charleston, and 11th–12th graders can participate in the Charleston Regional Youth Apprenticeships program at TTC. Documented outcomes include a 100% graduation rate and $3M+ in annual scholarship dollars earned by graduates, with admits to Ivy League, MIT, and Stanford reported on the school's recruitment materials.

Revenue mechanics are characteristic of a publicly funded charter: per-pupil state and district allocations flow through the CCSD sponsor relationship and constitute the primary funding base, supplemented by the Community Eligibility Provision (free breakfast and lunch for all students) and an optional fee-based Afternoon Academy ($15/day) operating from 3:10pm to 5:45pm. There is no tuition, no application fee, and no admissions test. Leadership comprises Executive Principal and CEO Mary Carmichael, Lead Principal Mrs. Frasier, Assistant Principals Mrs. Carter (middle school) and Mr. Thompson (high school), counselors Mrs. Tanya Domin and Ms. DiemChi Nguyen, College Counselor Mr. Bert Hundall, Title IX Coordinator Ms. Misti B. Melton, Athletic Director AD Traquair, and Board Chair Russ Campbell.

Name

Charleston Charter School for Math & Science

Legal name

Charleston Charter School for Math and Science

Website

https://charlestonmathscience.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Charleston Charter School for Math and Science is a public charter school in Charleston, SC, serving 575 students in grades 6-12 through project-based STEM education, six career pathways, and dual-enrollment partnerships with Trident Tech and College of Charleston.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary STEM Education (K-12 Charter School)

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAJACAJ

Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Charter K–12 Schools

SECONDARYEDAJAAAF

Public Magnet & Specialty Schools (STEM/Arts/IB/CTE)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Public K–12 Schools & Districts

SECONDARYEDAJACAK

Charter Career & Technical Education (CTE) Schools

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Charter K–12 Schools

Keywords

• STEM secondary education
• Charter school education
• Project-based learning
• Career pathway programs
• Dual enrollment programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Public School Funding: As a publicly funded charter school sponsored by Charleston County School District, CCSMS receives per-pupil state funding and district allocations. No tuition is charged to students.
2. Afternoon Academy Fees: After-school program charged at $15/day for academic support, homework assistance, and supervised care until 5:45pm. Late pickup fee of $1/minute after 5:45pm.
3. Food Services: The school participates in the Community Eligibility Provision program, providing free breakfast and lunch to all students. Additional food items may be available for purchase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Charleston Charter School for Math and Science is a public charter school delivering tuition-free, STEM-focused secondary education to 575 scholars in grades 6-12 in Charleston County, South Carolina, using a project-based learning model. The school offers six career pathways (Pre-Engineering, Computer Science, Bio-Medical Science, Teaching and Training, Business and Marketing, Environmental Sciences), dual enrollment with Trident Technical College and the College of Charleston, an Afternoon Academy for after-school academic support, athletics, and comprehensive college counseling.

Product overview

Charleston Charter School for Math & Science is a public charter school serving grades 6-12 with a unified STEM-focused educational platform. The core offering consists of middle and high school STEM education enhanced by specialized career pathway programs including Project Lead The Way (Engineering, Biomedical Sciences, Computer Science), Business and Marketing, Environmental Sciences, Teacher Cadet, and Youth Apprenticeships. Additional services include Dual Enrollment with Trident Tech and College of Charleston, Afternoon Academy for academic support, Athletics (Riptide), and comprehensive College Counseling. The school utilizes Canvas LMS for course management and PowerSchool for student information, supported by partnerships with Khan Academy and MobyMax for supplemental learning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Middle School STEM Education (Grades 6-8) Tuition-free, STEM-focused middle school education for grades 6-8 with project-based learning, math and science fundamentals, and preparation for high school STEM coursework, serving Charleston County families through lottery-based enrollment.
• High School STEM Education (Grades 9-12) Tuition-free, comprehensive high school STEM curriculum for grades 9-12 preparing scholars for college and STEM careers through honors, AP, dual enrollment, and six career pathway options.
• Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Pre-Engineering Pathway
• Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Bio-Medical Sciences Pathway
• Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Computer Science Pathway
• Business and Marketing Majors Program
• Environmental Sciences Program
• Teacher Cadet Program
• Youth Apprenticeships Program
• Dual Enrollment Program
• Afternoon Academy
• Athletics Program (Riptide)
• Clubs and Activities Program
• College Counseling Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% graduation rate
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Charleston County School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008CCSMS is sponsored by Charleston County School District in accordance with South Carolina's charter school laws. The district provides oversight, access to benefits (health, dental, retirement), and enrollment verification systems. The school follows the CCSD academic calendar and complies with district policies.
• Project Lead the Way (PLTW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPLTW provides curriculum for three career pathways: Pre-Engineering, Computer Science, and Bio-Medical Science. These are nationally recognized STEM curriculum programs used in schools across the country.
• Trident Technical CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJuniors and seniors can take college classes on Trident Tech's campus through dual enrollment. The school also offers Virtual SC foreign language classes on campus from Trident Tech.
• College of CharlestoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJuniors and seniors can take college classes at College of Charleston campus through dual enrollment program, providing access to college-level coursework and credits.
• Charleston County School District Food ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCSMS contracts nutritional services through CCSD Food Services. The school participates in the Community Eligibility Provision program providing free meals to all students.
• Charleston Regional Youth Apprenticeships at TTCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorkforce development partnership providing internship, apprenticeship, and career exploration opportunities for high school students age 15+ in fields such as healthcare and manufacturing.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BASIS Charter Schools: National network of STEM-focused public charter schools known for rigorous academics and high college placement rates. Comparable as a scaled, multi-site STEM charter operator that benchmarks the upper bound of academic outcomes CCSMS aspires to.
• KIPP Public Charter Schools: Large national charter network operating tuition-free public schools with college-prep focus. Comparable as a broad charter-school incumbent demonstrating the operating playbook (lottery admissions, free meals, extended day) that CCSMS also deploys.

Direct peers

• Academic Magnet High School: Highly ranked public magnet high school in North Charleston (CCSD) that admits students via lottery weighted on academic criteria. Comparable as a CCSD-sponsored, tuition-free, lottery-admission public magnet competing with CCSMS for top STEM-oriented students in Charleston County.
• Charleston County School of the Arts: Public magnet school within Charleston County School District serving grades 6–12 with a specialized focus (arts). Comparable because it is a CCSD-sponsored, lottery-based, tuition-free public magnet in the same district competing for the same academically oriented Charleston County families.
• Liberty STEAM Charter School: South Carolina public charter school with a STEAM-focused curriculum serving grades K–12. Comparable as a SC STEM-themed charter competitor pursuing similar project-based, career-pathway programming within the same state funding and policy environment.
• Palmetto Scholars Academy: South Carolina public charter school serving grades 6–12 with a STEM/gifted focus. Comparable as a SC charter peer in the same grade band with similar gifted/STEM positioning, lottery admissions, and college-prep outcomes.

Others

• Pinewood Preparatory School: Independent private school in Summerville, SC serving grades PK3–12. Comparable as a regional alternative for Charleston-area families weighing private vs. charter STEM options, even though it operates on tuition rather than public funding.
• Porter-Gaud School: Independent private day school in Charleston, SC serving grades 1–12 with college-prep curriculum. Comparable as a competing college-prep destination for Charleston families evaluating CCSMS against private alternatives.

Regional players

• Greenville Technical Charter High School: South Carolina public charter high school in the Upstate region with career-pathway and technical-education focus. Comparable as a SC charter peer in a different geography, illustrating how CCSMS's career-pathway model has been adapted regionally.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CCSMS2day
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CharlestonCharterSchool
• Facebookfacebook.com/CharlestonCharter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/charleston-charter-school-for-math-&-science

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Charleston Charter School for Math & Science