Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High· 36 schools in district

Polaris Tech Charter School

1508 Grays Highway, Ridgeland, SC 29936SC Public Charter School District →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades 05–12Charter
300
Students
Total enrolled
$25,770
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↑ 80% vs nat'l
13.0 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
↓ 15% vs nat'l
32/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
↓ 36% vs nat'l
⇄ Compare with another school
Mid-sized public school
Serves 300 students in grades 05–12 in Ridgeland, South Carolina.
80% above average funding
District spends $25,770 per pupil, 80% more than the national average of $14,347.
Below-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 32th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

Polaris Tech Charter School is a mid-sized high in Ridgeland, South Carolina, serving grades 05–12 with 300 students. The district invests $25,770 per student — 80% above the national average of $14,347, and maintains a 13.0:1 student-teacher ratio — smaller than the national norm of 15.4:1. About 100% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting significant economic challenges in the surrounding community. A neighborhood opportunity score of 32/100 — below the national median of 50 — is worth factoring into a fuller picture of long-term student outcomes.

Student Body & Demographics at Polaris Tech Charter School

300
Total Students
13.0 : 1
Student:Teacher
100%
Free Lunch
23
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (05–12) are served by this school
Gender Distribution138 male · 162 female
46%
54%
Male 46%Female 54%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility100%
National avg 52% · 300 students
Student Composition
20%
29%
51%
White20%
Hispanic / Latino29%
Black51%
Native American1%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 450390101698

Academic Outcomes at Polaris Tech Charter School

Neighborhood Opportunity Score
32
/ 100
Below-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 32th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 4th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 29936

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$25,770Above avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$25,770
State avg
$17,188
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$11,339
Student Support$4,896
Administration$3,092
Operations$3,866
Other$2,577
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $25,770 spent per student, an estimated $11,416 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
81%
State government
80.6%
Local (property tax)
5.8%
Federal programs
13.6%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • Above-average funding — $25,770/student vs $14,347 nationally
  • 13.0:1 student-teacher ratio — smaller classes than the national norm of 15.4:1
  • Charter school — may offer specialized curriculum or alternative teaching approaches
Worth Considering
  • Below-median neighborhood opportunity score (32/100) — national median is 50
  • 100% of students on free or reduced lunch — a high share that can indicate resource pressure
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
East Point AcademyGREEN Charter School of SpartanburgLEAD AcademyLiberty STEAM Charter School
+7 more
↓
Middle
Tall Pines STEM AcademyYouth Leadership AcademyPalmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy
↓
High School
Fox Creek HighGreer Middle College Charter HighPalmetto Scholars AcademyGreenville Technical Charter High School
+3 more
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelHigh
Grades05 – 12
Location—
CountyJasper County
CharterYes
VirtualNo
DistrictSC Public Charter School District →
Phone: (843)645-0605
NCES ID: 450390101698
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in Ridgeland seeking a charter 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 SC Public Charter School District
Other
York Preparatory Academy
1,673 students · KG–12
● 42 opp41% FRL
Other
Legacy Early College
1,610 students · PK–12
● 35 opp100% FRL
Other
Bridges Preparatory School
1,271 students · KG–12
22% FRL
Other
High Point Academy
1,251 students · PK–12
● 37 opp69% FRL
Elem
East Point Academy
776 students · PK–08
● 47 opp50% FRL
High
Fox Creek High
659 students · 09–12
● 42 opp8% FRL
Other
Riverwalk Academy
628 students · KG–12
● 42 opp12% FRL
High
Greer Middle College Charter High
510 students · 09–12
● 38 opp2% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
1508 Grays Highway, Ridgeland, SC 29936
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.