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Public Charter School District reports enrollment growth, wait list and targeted closures
Summary
Superintendent Neely briefed the subcommittee on the South Carolina Public Charter School District’s enrollment growth to about 20,600 students, a wait list of roughly 6,000, and the district’s approach to accountability, including closing underperforming schools and supporting alternative education campuses.
Superintendent Chris Neely of the South Carolina Public Charter School District told the K-12 finance subcommittee that the district’s 45-day count had risen to about 20,600 students, up from roughly 15,000 at the start of his tenure, and that the district currently has about 6,000 students on waiting lists. Neely said the district operates 44 schools, employs more than 2,500 staff, and reported 80% teacher certification for its teaching staff.
Neely said the district’s pupil-poverty share has increased and that students with disabilities and students of color have grown as shares of enrollment. He described the district’s accountability posture: during his tenure the district has closed four underperforming schools and stopped four prospective schools from opening because of capacity concerns. He said five member schools were unsatisfactory and had received corrective-action letters; the district is treating corrective action as supportive first and revocation as a later option if schools do not cooperate.
Neely highlighted academic outcomes that are generally at or slightly above state averages on end-of-course and SC Ready comparisons and said the district operates alternative education campuses and virtual instruction (VirtualSC), which the department had characterized earlier as comparable to a large district by student count. On finance, Neely said the district had maintained a balanced budget, a sustainable rainy-day fund, no debt and reported its ADM and per-unit calculations for planning 2025–26 budgets.
Ending: Neely said demand for charter options continues and that the district seeks to balance growth with quality authorizing, emphasizing “high quality versus quantity” and ongoing partnerships with local districts for alternative education and student re-engagement.
