POLARIS TECH CHARTER SCHOOL

What POLARIS TECH CHARTER SCHOOL does

Polaris Tech Charter School is a K-12 public state charter school located in Ridgeland, South Carolina, serving approximately 550 students from Jasper, Colleton, Hampton, and Beaufort counties. The school operates free of tuition and is funded primarily through South Carolina's per-pupil allocation under the Education Finance Act, supplemented by grants and donations, and is governed by an 11-member Board of Directors chaired by retired Air Force four-star General Lloyd "Fig" Newton, who founded the school on authorization from the S.C. Public Charter School District in 2017.

Polaris Tech's educational model combines Edgenuity MyPath adaptive online instruction with project-based, applied learning delivered in on-campus Learning Labs, Huddle Rooms, and Demo Labs. Its proprietary ICAN (Individual Competency Achievement Plan) portfolio system tracks student work and progress, with students leading quarterly reviews. The curriculum is structured around six 21st Century Career Pathways — aerospace, health science, information technology, logistics, advanced manufacturing, and business management — supported by dual-enrollment partnerships with Technical College of the Lowcountry and USC Beaufort, and employer engagement with Boeing, the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office Aviation Unit, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, among others. Operational systems include PowerSchool for student information, Edlio for the public website and parent portal, and Yondr pouches for cell phone management during school hours.

The school became a full K-12 campus in December 2023 with the opening of a 36,000-square foot elementary wing, and in 2025 graduated its largest class to date (39 students) with almost two-thirds matriculating to college or trade schools. As a South Carolina state charter nonprofit, Polaris Tech carries no public stock listing and does not disclose audited revenue publicly.

Name

POLARIS TECH CHARTER SCHOOL

Legal name

Polaris Tech Charter School

Website

https://polaristech.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Polaris Tech Charter School is a free public K-12 state charter school in Ridgeland, South Carolina, serving about 550 students across four counties through a blended Edgenuity MyPath and project-based learning model organized around six Career Pathways including aerospace, health science, IT, logistics, advanced manufacturing, and business management.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAJACAK

Charter Career & Technical Education (CTE) Schools

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

SECONDARYEDAJACAJ

Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools

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

Keywords

• K-12 charter school
• Career pathways education
• Personalized learning platform
• Project-based learning
• Public school education

Headquarters

HQ city

Ridgeland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. State Per-Pupil Funding: State funding provided through the Education Finance Act and Charter School Funding legislation. The projected allocation is approximately $6,087 per student per year (2019-2020 figure). This is the primary funding source for a state charter school.
2. Grants and Donations: Additional funding from grants and donations supplements state per-pupil funding. The school accepts donations through its website.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Polaris Tech Charter School is a free public K-12 charter school offering a blended learning model that pairs Edgenuity MyPath adaptive online instruction with project-based applied learning. Students follow six Career Pathways (Aerospace, Health Science, Information Technology, Logistics, Advanced Manufacturing, Business Management) and use the proprietary ICAN portfolio system for quarterly progress reviews, with opportunities for industry certifications and dual credit.

Product overview

Polaris Tech Charter School is a free public K-12 charter school offering a blended learning model that combines Edgenuity MyPath adaptive online instruction with project-based applied learning. The core educational platform integrates personalized pacing through Edgenuity MyPath with the school's proprietary ICAN (Individual Competency Achievement Plan) portfolio system for tracking student progress. Students follow Career Pathways in Aerospace, Health Science, IT, Logistics, Advanced Manufacturing, and Business Management, with workforce readiness tracked through the ICAN system. Flexible Fridays provide weekly opportunities for extended projects and career exploration. The school uses PowerSchool for student information management and Edlio for website/parent communications. Students in grades 6-12 use Edgenuity MyPath daily, working through curriculum at their own pace with teacher support, applying learned concepts to hands-on projects in designated learning spaces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Career Pathways Program Career-focused curricular program offering six 21st-century pathways (Aerospace, Health Science, Information Technology, Logistics, Advanced Manufacturing, Business Management) with prescribed courses, industry certifications, dual credit opportunities, and badges, serving students in grades 6-12.
• ICAN Profile (Individual Competency Achievement Plan) Technology-enabled dynamic portfolio of student work and a roadmap students use to chart a path to meet graduation requirements; students lead a review of their progress every nine weeks, designed for grades 6-12 learners at Polaris Tech.
• Flexible Fridays Weekly flexible learning day where students work on extended projects, attend field trips to career centers, participate in school-wide challenges, and engage with guest speakers, planning their own activities with guidance from flight leaders.
• Applied Learning / Project-Based Learning Program Hands-on project-based program in which students apply knowledge from online coursework to real-world projects of their own design, conducted in Learning Labs, Huddle Rooms, and Demo Labs on campus.
• After-School Programs Extended-day after-school activities including athletics (via Jasper County School District), clubs, community service projects, and career-oriented programs, with coverage until 6 PM for elementary learners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Strong academic growth evidenced by Excellent and Good ratings on State Report Card
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Technical College of the Lowcountry (TCL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTCL participates in college fairs at Polaris Tech and offers dual enrollment opportunities. Students can work toward college credits while in high school through this partnership.
• Charleston Southern UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipates in college fairs at Polaris Tech, providing students with information about higher education opportunities.
• Claflin UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipates in college fairs at Polaris Tech, providing students with information about higher education opportunities.
• USC BeaufortcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolaris Tech has ongoing conversations with USC Beaufort regarding dual enrollment and early college credit opportunities for students.
• BoeingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolaris Tech learners toured Boeing facilities, supporting the school's aerospace career pathway program.
• Beaufort County Sheriffs Office (BCSO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCSO Aviation Unit provides aviation-related learning experiences for Polaris Tech learners, supporting the aerospace career pathway.
• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA Polaris Tech senior was accepted to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University after following the school's aerospace college-prep program. The school continues to pursue this partnership for aerospace pathway students.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Green Dot Public Schools: Multi-state charter management organization operating K-12 public charter schools, including those with college-prep/career pathway orientations. Comparable as a charter operator serving similar student demographics.
• KIPP Foundation (KIPP Public Schools): One of the largest U.S. charter networks operating K-12 schools with a college-prep mission. Comparable to Polaris Tech as a public charter operator focused on underserved communities and college/career readiness, but with national scale and broader program offerings.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: Large charter network operating K-12 schools with strong academic outcomes and oversubscribed lotteries. Comparable to Polaris Tech in using lottery-based admissions and emphasizing measurable academic performance.
• National Heritage Academies: Charter management organization operating K-8 (and some K-12) public charter schools across multiple states with a focus on college preparation. Comparable as a charter operator with similar funding/governance structure.
• Charter Schools USA: Major charter school management organization operating multiple K-12 charter schools across several states. Comparable as a charter management operator with similar governance and per-pupil funding dynamics.

Direct peers

• IDEA Public Schools: National charter network with a strong career and technical education (CTE) focus and explicit college/career pathway model, serving predominantly Title I communities. Comparable to Polaris Tech in mission (career-focused K-12), student demographic focus, and pathway-driven curriculum.
• BASIS Charter Schools: National charter network known for rigorous college-prep academics and strong postsecondary outcomes. Comparable to Polaris Tech in producing strong graduation and college/trade-school matriculation outcomes.
• Palmetto Scholars Academy: South Carolina public charter school serving gifted and advanced learners grades 6-12 in the Lowcountry region. Comparable as a same-state charter with a college-prep/career orientation serving families in the same broader region.
• Oceanside Collegiate Academy: South Carolina public charter high school in the Lowcountry with a college-prep mission. Comparable as a same-state charter serving overlapping regional families with similar college-readiness focus.
• Charleston Charter School for Math & Science: South Carolina charter school serving grades 6-12 with a STEM/career-prep focus in the Charleston region. Closest geographic and grade-range peer to Polaris Tech's middle/high campus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/POLARISTECHCHARTERSCHOOL
• Instagraminstagram.com/polaristechcharter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/polaris-tech-charter-school

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 POLARIS TECH CHARTER SCHOOL