Our Schools

Charter Institute At Erskine

At Charter Institute at Erskine, we believe in authorizing top-quality schools and providing the support and opportunities schools, students and families need to achieve their highest potential.

Our diverse array of elementary, middle and high schools in South Carolina lead the way in academic excellence and creative education opportunities to serve the needs of students. Since 2017, the Charter Institute at Erskine has provided more educational choices to tens of thousands of families across the state.

We invite you to explore our schools and visit their websites to learn more about the unique opportunities and application process.

Click on the school name to access their website.

Our Charter Schools in South Carolina

Charter schools in South Carolina are public schools that operate under an independent “charter” under the oversight of an authorizing sponsor, like the Charter Institute at Erskine. As public schools, charter schools are tuition-free and open to all students regardless of geographical boundaries.

Our charter schools adhere to the same state and national educational standards as traditional public schools, but they are governed by their own independent school boards. This allows our schools to explore innovative educational opportunities while being held accountable to Charter Institute at Erskine for advancing student achievement.

Charter schools typically adopt a theme. This focused mission allows our schools to concentrate on the unique needs of their student population. Examples of themes could include virtual school, STEM education, entrepreneurial studies, single-gender models, college readiness or classical education.

About charter schools in south carolina

The Charter Institute at Erskine was established in 2017 by the historic Erskine College. As a registered authorizer, our organization reviews charter school applications, grants charters, develops academic and operational expectations and oversees a school’s performance.

At Charter Institute at Erskine, we foster each school’s diversity with an accountability system that adds value and facilitates its uniqueness while ensuring the school maintains academic, financial and operational excellence. This direct oversight furthers our mission of elevating educational opportunities through creativity and innovation.

Registration Process

Charter schools authorized by the Charter Institute at Erskine are schools of choice. They do not have traditional school boundaries like South Carolina school districts. So, any student who lives in South Carolina is permitted to attend any charter school to which they have been accepted, tuition-free.

Please click on the charter school you are interested in to view their enrollment period and unique application process. Charter schools do not require entrance exams or specific qualifications to enroll.

If more applications are submitted than the school’s capacity, students are entered into a lottery. The lottery chooses applications at random for acceptance. Preference may be given to students whose siblings attend the charter school or children of current charter school employees based on the school’s individual charter.

Become a Part of charter institute at erskine

The Charter Institute of Erskine is an ongoing resource for education and support for the schools, students and families we serve. Subscribe to our newsletter to learn more about our school and how we serve local communities.

Feel free to contact us to learn more about the opportunities available at our South Carolina charter schools.

SCHOOLS

SCHOOL NAME	LOCATION	GRADES	INNOVATION	CHARTER APPLICATION	SCHOOL CONTACT
American Leadership Academy – Lexington	Lexington	K-12	Core Knowledge	ALA Lexington	Mr. Mike Sinclair (803) 849-2264
Ascent Classical Academy – Fort Mill	Fort Mill	K-8	Classical	Ascent Classical Academy – Fort Mill	Mr. Mike Sinclair (803) 849-2264
Belton Preparatory Academy	Belton	K5-8	Entrepreneurial	Belton Preparatory Academy	Mr. Mike Sinclair (803) 849-2264
Berkeley Preparatory Academy	Summerville	K-8	College Readiness	Berkeley Preparatory Academy	Dr. Missy Brakefield (803) 849-2458
Brashier Middle College Charter School	Simpsonville	9-12	Middle College	Brashier Middle College	Mr. Mike Sinclair (803) 849-2264
Calhoun Falls Charter School	Calhoun Falls	6-12	Community Schools	Calhoun Falls Public Charter School	Dr. Missy Brakefield (803) 849-2458
Cherokee Charter Academy	Gaffney	5K-9	Core Knowledge	Cherokee Charter Academy	Dr. Missy Brakefield (803) 849-2458
Clear Dot Charter School	Columbia	5K-11	Global Competence	Clear Dot Charter School	Dr. Missy Brakefield (803) 849-2458
Cyber Academy of SC	Virtual	K-12	Virtual K-12 Curriculum	Cyber Academy of SC	Dr. Missy Brakefield (803) 849-2458
Gray Collegiate Academy	West Columbia	6-12	Dual-Credit	Gray Collegiate Academy	Dr. Missy Brakefield (803) 849-2458
Greenwood Charter Academy	Greenwood	5K-7	Core Knowledge	Greenwood Charter Academy	Mr. Mike Sinclair (803) 849-2264
Heron Virtual Academy of South Carolina	Virtual	8-12	Virtual AEC	Heron Virtual Academy of South Carolina	Mr. Mike Sinclair (803) 849-2264
Langston Charter Middle School	Greenville	6-8	Single-Gender Classrooms	Langston Charter Middle School	Mr. Mike Sinclair (803) 849-2264
Libertas Academy – Boiling Springs	Boiling Springs	5K-7	Core Knowledge	Libertas Academy – Boiling Springs	Dr. Missy Brakefield (803) 849-2458
Lowcountry Connections Academy	Virtual	K-12	Virtual	Lowcountry Connections Academy	Dr. Missy Brakefield (803) 849-2458
Lowcountry Leadership Charter School	Meggett	K-12	Project-Based Learning	Lowcountry Leadership Charter School	Dr. Missy Brakefield (803) 849-2458
Mevers School of Excellence	Goose Creek	K5-8	College Readiness	Mevers School of Excellence	Dr. Missy Brakefield (803) 849-2458
Midlands STEM Charter School	Winnsboro	K5-12	Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math	Midlands STEM Charter School	Dr. Missy Brakefield (803) 849-2458
The Montessori School of Camden	Camden	K-8	Montessori	The Montessori School of Camden	Mr. Mike Sinclair (803) 849-2264
Odyssey Online Learning	Virtual	9-12	Virtual	Odyssey Online Learning	Mr. Mike Sinclair (803) 849-2264
Royal Live Oaks Academy	Hardeeville	K-12	Project-Based Learning	Royal Live Oaks Academy	Dr. Missy Brakefield (803) 849-2458
South Carolina Connections Academy	Virtual	K-12	Virtual	South Carolina Connections Academy	Mr. Mike Sinclair (803) 849-2264
South Carolina Virtual Charter School	Virtual	K-12	Virtual K-12 Curriculum	SC Virtual Charter School	Dr. Missy Brakefield (803) 849-2458
Thornwell Charter School	Clinton	K-12	Personalized Learning	Thornwell Charter School	Mr. Mike Sinclair (803) 849-2264
Virtus Academy of South Carolina	Florence	K-10	Project-Based Learning	Virtus Academy of South Carolina	Mr. Mike Sinclair (803) 849-2264
Willie Jeffries School of Excellence	Orangeburg	K-6	Personalized Learning	Willie Jeffries School of Excellence	Mr. Mike Sinclair (803) 849-2264

PIPELINE SCHOOLS

“Institute Pipeline Schools” are schools that have gone through the charter application process and their charters have been approved by the Institute Board. Their anticipated opening dates are in the next school year or later.

SCHOOL NAME	INITIAL LOCATION	GRADES	CHARTER APPLICATION	ANTICIPATED OPENING DATE
American Leadership Academy – Blythewood	Blythewood	K-10 First Year Pre-K- 12 Full Matriculation	American Leadership Academy – Blythewood	2025-2026
Ascent Classical Academy – Charleston	Charleston	K-8 First Year K-12 Full Matriculation	Ascent Classical Academy – Charleston	2025-2026
Ascent Classical Academy – Greenville	Greenville	K-8 First Year K-12 Full Matriculation	Ascent Classical Academy – Greenville	2025-2026
Ascent Classical Academy – Irmo	Irmo	K-8 First Year K-12 Full Matriculation	Ascent Classical Academy – Irmo	2025-2026
Ashley River Academy	Charleston	K-5 First Year K-12 Full Matriculation	Ashley River Academy	2025-2026
Cogito Academy	Lancaster	5K-6 First Year 5K-8 Full Matriculation	Cogito Academy	2025-2026
Libertas Academy – Colleton	Colleton	5K-6 First Year 5K-8 Full Matriculation	Libertas Academy – Colleton	2025-2026