Education systems in South Carolina and other states around the country have operated on a long-standing assumption that the best way to close performance gaps is to provide additional funding for struggling schools.
At The Charter Institute at Erskine, we’re shifting to a strategy that’s as simple as it is powerful: we are choosing to subsidize success rather than failure. We believe that instead of just expecting high performance, we should treat it as an investment worth fueling. By putting our resources into the results we want to see, we ensure that success is what we actively reward. On January 7, we put this philosophy into practice at our annual Academic Showcase.
During this ceremony the Institute distributed $245,000 – nearly a quarter of a million dollars – in Academic Performance Bonuses to 14 of the highest-performing schools within our portfolio.
Belton Preparatory Academy
For years, the conversation around South Carolina education has centered on the idea that more money equals better outcomes – but funding without a focus on performance hasn’t moved the needle.
This new initiative is built on the simple, data-driven belief that when you subsidize success, you will get more of it. We are not only funding schools, but we’re investing in the high-level academics that our students deserve.
To determine which schools were eligible for academic performance bonuses, we utilized a tiered structure based on South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) report cards.
- $15,000 Bonus: Awarded to schools with an Excellent overall rating.
- $10,000 Bonus: Awarded to schools with a Good overall rating.
- $5,000 Bonus: Awarded to schools maintaining an Excellent rating in Student Progress for three or more consecutive years.
By shifting the focus from “filling gaps” to “fueling success,” the Institute is setting a new standard for how rewarding excellence can drive academic achievement.
Award recipients are listed below:
| Belton Preparatory Academy (Elementary) | $10,000 (Good Report Card) |
| Belton Preparatory Academy (Middle) | $15,000 (Excellent Report Card) |
| Berkeley Preparatory Academy (Elementary) | $10,000 (Good Report Card) |
| Berkeley Preparatory Academy (Middle) | $15,000 (Excellent Report Card) |
| Brashier Middle College Charter High School | $15,000 (Excellent Report Card) |
| Cherokee Charter Academy (Middle) | $10,000 (Good Report Card) |
| Cyber Academy of SC (High) | $10,000 (Good Report Card) |
| Gray Collegiate Academy (Middle) | $15,000 (Excellent Report Card) |
| Gray Collegiate Academy (High) | $15,000 (Excellent Report Card) |
| Langston Charter Middle School | $15,000 (Excellent Report Card) |
| Libertas Academy – Boiling Springs (Elementary) | $10,000 (Good Report Card) |
| Libertas Academy – Boiling Springs (Middle) | $10,000 (Good Report Card) |
| Lowcountry Leadership Charter School (High) | $15,000 (Excellent Report Card) |
| Mevers School of Excellence (Middle) | $10,000 (Good Report Card) |
| The Montessori School of Camden (Elementary) | $10,000 (Good Report Card) |
| Royal Live Oaks Academy (Elementary) | $10,000 (Good Report Card) |
| $5,000 (Excellent Student Progress) | |
| Royal Live Oaks Academy (High) | $10,000 (Good Report Card) |
| South Carolina Virtual Charter School (High) | $10,000 (Good Report Card) |
| Thornwell Charter School (Middle) | $15,000 (Excellent Report Card) |
| Thornwell Charter School (High) | $10,000 (Good Report Card) |
