Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High· 82 schools in district

Charleston School of the Arts

5109-B West Enterprise Street, North Charleston, SC 29405Charleston 01 →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades 06–12Non-Charter
1,061
Students
Total enrolled
98%
Grad Rate
Nat'l avg 87%
↑ 13% vs nat'l
$20,688
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↑ 44% vs nat'l
14.8 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
~avg
33/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
↓ 35% vs nat'l
⇄ Compare with another school
Large public school
Serves 1,061 students in grades 06–12 in North Charleston, South Carolina.
44% above average funding
District spends $20,688 per pupil, 44% more than the national average of $14,347.
Below-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 33th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

Charleston School of the Arts is a very large high in North Charleston, South Carolina, serving grades 06–12 with 1,061 students. The district invests $20,688 per student — 44% above the national average of $14,347, with a 14.8:1 student-teacher ratio near the national norm. With only 22% of students on free or reduced-price lunch, the school primarily serves an economically stable community. A neighborhood opportunity score of 33/100 — below the national median of 50 — is worth factoring into a fuller picture of long-term student outcomes.

Student Body & Demographics at Charleston School of the Arts

1,061
Total Students
14.8 : 1
Student:Teacher
22%
Free Lunch
72
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (06–12) are served by this school
Gender Distribution339 male · 722 female
32%
68%
Male 32%Female 68%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility22%
National avg 52% · 236 students
Student Composition
69%
8%
14%
Asian5%
White69%
Hispanic / Latino8%
Black14%
Multiracial4%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 450144000083

Academic Outcomes at Charleston School of the Arts

Graduation Rate (Adjusted Cohort)
GE95
High
National avg 87%
Graduation Rate Comparison
This school
98%
State avg
84%
National avg
87%
Neighborhood Opportunity Score
33
/ 100
Below-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 33th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 5th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 29405

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$20,688Above avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$20,688
State avg
$17,188
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$9,103
Student Support$3,931
Administration$2,483
Operations$3,103
Other$2,069
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $20,688 spent per student, an estimated $9,165 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
28%
59%
State government
27.7%
Local (property tax)
59.0%
Federal programs
13.3%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • 98% graduation rate — well above the 87% national average
  • Above-average funding — $20,688/student vs $14,347 nationally
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Worth Considering
  • Below-median neighborhood opportunity score (33/100) — national median is 50
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
Orange Grove Charter SchoolMeeting Street ElementaryJennie Moore ElementaryCarolina Park Elementary
+13 more
↓
Middle
C. E. Williams Middle School for Creative and Scientific ArtThomas C. Cario MiddleMoultrie MiddleLaing Middle
+2 more
↓
High School
Wando HighRB Stall HighWest Ashley HighLucy Garrett Beckham High
+3 more
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelHigh
Grades06 – 12
Location—
CountyCharleston County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictCharleston 01 →
Phone: (843)529-4990
NCES ID: 450144000083
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in North Charleston seeking a public high school, especially those prioritizing above-average resources and classroom investment. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in Charleston 01
High
Wando High
2,596 students · 09–12
● 37 opp19% FRL
High
RB Stall High
1,952 students · 09–12
● 36 opp100% FRL
High
West Ashley High
1,935 students · 09–12
100% FRL
High
Lucy Garrett Beckham High
1,673 students · 09–12
● 42 opp20% FRL
High
James Island Charter High
1,589 students · 09–12
36% FRL
Mid
C. E. Williams Middle School for Creative and Scientific Art
1,172 students · 06–08
70% FRL
Elem
Orange Grove Charter School
1,167 students · PK–08
● 55 opp23% FRL
Elem
Meeting Street Elementary
1,133 students · PK–08
● 33 opp100% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
5109-B West Enterprise Street, North Charleston, SC 29405
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

High
1
What percentage of students take AP or dual enrollment courses?
Indicates academic rigor and college prep
2
What college counseling and application support is provided?
Ratio of students per counselor matters
3
What career and vocational pathways are offered?
CTE programs, internships, industry partnerships
4
How does the school support students at risk of not graduating?
Credit recovery, attendance intervention
5
What's the school's culture around attendance and behavior?
Discipline approach, restorative practices
6
What happens after graduation — where do students go?
Ask about college, career, military outcomes
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.