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Lottery Application for the 2025-2026 Academic Year

CCSMS 2025-2026 Scholar Application Information

About Charleston Charter School for Math and Science

Charleston Charter School for Math and Science (CCSMS) is a public charter school serving grades 6 to 12. CCSMS was started in 2008 as South Carolina’s first STEM focused middle-high school. Our faculty provides hands-on, experiential learning in a small, supportive environment. Scholars have opportunities to create unique pathways to success in college and careers.

Application for Enrollment for the 2025-2026 School Year

The CCSMS 2025-26 school year application and lottery process is separate from the CCSD School Choice process, though the school does fall under Charleston County School District and its policies. The lottery application opens on January 14, 2025, and closes at 5:00pm on February 25, 2025.

The online application is available via our website only; paper applications are available from the school’s main office Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 2:30pm when school is in session. Once the lottery application closes on February 25, 2025 at 5:00pm, only the waitlist application will be available.

If the number of lottery applications exceeds the number of openings in any grade, a lottery will be held for that grade.

The live, public lottery will be held on March 29, 2025 at 11:00am.

Admissions Requirements

CCSMS will admit children who reside in the Charleston County School District* and are entering the 6th through 12th grades (subject to space limitations). There are no tests, tuition, or other barriers to admission.

* Residency will be verified following CCSD’s verification process:

Students finishing the current 2024-25 school year in a CCSD school must submit documents from Categories I & II.
Additional residency documents will be needed if the above residency documents are not in the name of the parent/guardian due to living with someone else who is the "Head of Household."
Students finishing the current 2024-25 school year in any non-CCSD school district must submit a notarized Affidavit of Residency, as well as documents from Categories I & II.
Specific details and examples of these documents are found in the CCSD Residency Verification Document Requirements publication.

Application Process

A fully completed application must be submitted within the lottery application window (January 14 - February 25, 2025 at 5:00pm) for each student applying to CCSMS; incomplete applications will NOT be processed. Families with multiple children applying at one time must submit a separate application for each child.

The application requires a valid email address be used for at least one parent/guardian as email will be the primary form of communication through the admissions process. If the parent/guardian’s email address changes at any time, the school should be contacted by phone or email immediately.
After the 5:00pm February 25th, 2025 closing date for the lottery application, the waitlist application will be available. Students applying for admission using the waitlist application will be placed at the end of the waitlist for their grades in the order the applications are received. Applicants applying for the waitlist after the lottery application closes, but before the lottery is held, will not be provided with a waitlist number until after the lottery offers and lottery waitlists have been announced.
SC Law allows admission priority for siblings of CCSMS scholars, children of employees, and children of the original charter committee. Siblings are defined as biological and/or legal brothers and sisters who reside in the same household.

> Siblings of current or past scholars (enrolled for at least 1 year within the last 6 years) must apply for admission through the lottery application to receive priority status; siblings of current or past scholars who apply after the lottery application closes will be waitlisted in the natural order of the waitlist.

> Siblings of scholars who are admitted in the 2025-26 school year will be given priority status.

> A long-form birth certificate and/or legal custody documents for the applying sibling will be required for verification, and for the past scholar as we no longer have those on file.

After the lottery application window closes, each applicant will receive a unique identifying number that will be used for anonymous lottery and waitlist results.

Parents/guardians will be notified by email within 3 days after the lottery of their child’s seat offer or waitlist number. Lottery results using the unique identifying numbers assigned to each applicant will also be posted on the school’s front door immediately following the live lottery.
April 11, 2025 at 11:59pm is the deadline to accept a seat offer from the lottery. In order to accept the seat, parents/guardians will be required to upload the following items by that deadline:

> Current Categories I & II residency documents (see Requirements)

> Notarized Affidavit of Residency if not finishing the 2024-25 school year in a CCSD school, or living with someone else who is the "Head of Household"

> Most recent report card

> High school transcript if entering 10th-12th grade, or if student has high school credits

> Parent/Guardian driver’s license or legal picture ID

> Long-form birth certificate, marriage certificate, or legal custody documents for applying sibling, past scholar sibling, employee’s child, or original charter committee member’s child

> Optional: national and/or state test scores, 504 plans, IEP documentation, or other miscellaneous documentation the school might need to ensure the scholar’s success

Parents/Guardians of waitlisted students who are later offered an open seat will be notified via email. They will have 3 calendar days to accept the new seat offer, so they should have the above documents ready to accept the seat by that deadline.

Scholars who are admitted for the grade indicated on their application must pass the previous grade by the end of the current school year. If a scholar fails the previous grade and cannot enter the grade for which the scholar applied, the scholar’s application will go to the end of the waitlist for the repeated grade. For example, if a scholar applies for the 9th grade, is accepted into the 9th grade by lottery, and subsequently fails the 8th grade at the end of the current school year, the application will be moved to the end of the 8th grade waitlist.

Parents/Guardians of accepted students are responsible for completing their child’s current school’s withdrawal process before the end of the current school year (submitting their official form, paying outstanding fees, returning materials, etc.). The CCSMS Admissions Office will do the work of obtaining all academic records from that school.

Keep in mind that all scholars are required to complete CCSD’s 2025-26 PowerSchool Registration at a later date. Parents/Guardians will be notified as to when this online form is available and its deadline. Scholars who are new to CCSD this year will also be required to provide up-to-date vaccination records with this registration.

APPLICANT INFORMATION

Grade Applying for 2025-2026 Enrollment *

Legal First Name *

Legal Middle Name

Legal Last Name *

Preferred Name/Nickname

Birthdate (MM/DD/YYYY) *

Gender *

Residence Street Address (Physical, no PO Boxes) *

Residence Apt or Unit

Residence City *

Residence State *

Residence Zip Code *

Mailing Street Address or PO Box (if different from Residence Address above)

Mailing Apt or Unit (if different from Residence Address above)

Mailing City (if different from Residence Address above)

Mailing State (if different from Residence Address above)

Mailing Zip Code (if different from Residence Address above)

PARENT/GUARDIAN #1 INFORMATION

Full Name *

Relationship to Scholar *

Email Address *

Alternate Email Address

Phone Number *

Alternate Phone Number

Does the applicant live with this parent/guardian? *

Yes, 100% of the time

Applicant splits time with parent/guardian #2

Residence Street Address (Physical, no PO Boxes) *

Residence Apt or Unit

Residence City *

Residence State *

Residence Zip Code *

PARENT/GUARDIAN #2 INFORMATION

Full Name

Relationship to Applicant

Email Address

Alternate Email Address

Phone Number

Alternate Phone Number

Does the applicant live with this parent/guardian?

Yes, 100% of the time

Applicant splits time with parent/guardian #1

Residence Street Address (Physical, no PO Boxes)

Residence Apt or Unit

Residence City

Residence State

Residence Zip Code

SCHOOL INFORMATION

Which school does the applicant currently attend? *

If you answered "OTHER" to the previous question, please specify the name and location of the school the applicant currently attends.

Charleston County PowerSchool ID # (if known)

The scholar's "zoned school" is what you might call a "neighborhood school." Use the CCSD School Look-Up Tool, if needed, to answer the next question.

Which school is your child ZONED to attend? *

If you answered "OTHER" to the previous question, please specify the name and location of the applicant's zoned school.

PRIORITY ADMISSIONS

Does the applicant have a sibling CURRENTLY attending CCSMS? (If yes, verification documents will be requested immediately after submitting this application, and they must be submitted by March 4, 2025 to be eligible for sibling priority.) *

Yes

If you answered "Yes" to the previous question, what is the sibling's name who CURRENTLY attends CCSMS?

Does the applicant have a sibling who PREVIOUSLY attended CCSMS? (If yes, verification documents will be requested immediately after submitting this application, and they must be submitted by March 4, 2025 to be eligible for sibling priority.) *

Yes

If you answered "Yes" to the previous question, what is the sibling's name and last year of attendance who PREVIOUSLY attended CCSMS?

Does the applicant have siblings also applying for the 2025-2026 school year? (Remember: separate applications must be submitted for each applicant.) *

Yes

If you answered "Yes" to the previous question, please type the sibling applicant name(s) and grade(s) applying for.

Is a parent/legal guardian of the applicant currently employed with CCSMS, or were they a founding charter committee member in 2007? (If yes, verification documents will be requested immediately after submitting this application.) *

Yes

If you answered "Yes" to the previous question, what is the name of the employee or committee member?

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

What is your preferred language for notifications and communications from CCSMS? *

PARENT/GUARDIAN AGREEMENT

By checking each box below and submitting this application, you accept and agree to the following:

I understand that CCSMS is academically rigorous and sets high expectations for academics and behavior. *

I agree to be an engaged partner in my child's education with high expectations for academics and behavior. *

I understand that my child must meet the residency requirements of Charleston County School District, and if my child is accepted to CCSMS, my family will be required to provide Charleston County primary residence verification documents. *

I understand CCSMS has a dress code and requires all scholars to wear uniforms. I will ensure my child adheres to this requirement. *

I am responsible for updating the school with any changes to contact information with the understanding that not doing so may result in missing information about enrollment and may result in relinquishing an enrollment opening. *

I understand that selection of scholars is by lottery first, then by waitlist in the order the applications are received. *

I give permission for my child to be included on the waitlist, which is a public document, in order to facilitate truth and transparency. *

I request that my child be considered for enrollment at CCSMS for the grade selected above, and I understand that if my child is not academically promoted to the grade selected above, my child will be placed on the waitlist for their current grade. *

I grant CCSMS permission to create an Operoo.com account for electronic application intake and admissions communication. *

Please type your full name here as signature acknowledgement that you are the Parent/Legal Guardian of this applicant and agree to the above statements. *

Before clicking "Submit," review your answers carefully -- especially the grade you are applying for and all email addresses -- as the only way to change your responses requires contacting our Admissions Office.

1) If you incorrectly identify the 2025-2026 grade of your applicant, it cannot be corrected after the lottery application closing date on February 25, 2025. If it's not corrected before that date, the application will be moved to the bottom of the correct grade's waitlist after the results of the lottery have been announced.

2) Because admissions updates (seat offers and waitlist info) are communicated by email, note that invalid or mistyped email addresses can jeopardize your child's admission offer.

CCSMS STATEMENT OF NON-DISCRIMINATION AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

The Charleston Charter School for Math and Science does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, age, pregnancy or related condition, handicap/disability, or any other characteristic protected by law in education programs, activities, and employment (including personnel decisions such as recruiting and hiring, training, promotion, demotion, discipline, rates of pay or other compensation, transfer, termination, recalls, and social and recreational activities).

The Charleston Charter School for Math and Science recognizes equal employment for all persons, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, age, native language, religion, creed, disability or handicap, or military membership or obligation, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Federal law prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex or other protected characteristics in educational programs or activities receiving federal assistance.

Employees, scholars, and the general public are hereby notified that the Charleston Charter School for Math and Science does not discriminate in educational programs or activities or in employment policies.

Lottery Application for the 2025-2026 Academic Year

﻿CCSMS 2025-2026 Scholar Application Information

About Charleston Charter School for Math and Science

Application for Enrollment for the 2025-2026 School Year

Admissions Requirements

Application Process

CCSMS 2025-2026 Scholar Application Information