Every fall, the South Carolina Department of Education releases its school report cards — and every fall, parents across Charleston County try to make sense of what the numbers mean for their kids. This year’s Charleston County school ratings 2025 are especially worth a look for District 5 families trying to understand how local schools stack up.
Read More : – Charleston County School Ratings: How District 5 Schools Are Performing
The Big Picture
The 2025 South Carolina School Report Cards showed a genuinely encouraging trend for Charleston County School District. More than 60 percent of CCSD schools earned a “Good” or “Excellent” rating this year, well ahead of the statewide average of 49 percent. In total, 57 district schools and programs landed in those top two rating tiers, up from just 38 schools back in 2019.
The 2025 report cards show real progress for CCSD. More than 60 percent of district schools earned a “Good” or “Excellent” rating, well above the statewide average of 49 percent. In total, 57 schools landed in those top tiers — up from just 38 back in 2019. District leaders credit steady investment in phonics-based reading instruction, early literacy support, and data-driven decisions at the school level.
Elementary Schools Lead the Gains
Elementary schools drove much of the districtwide improvement this year. Sanders-Clyde Elementary, where more than 97 percent of students live in poverty, earned a “Good” rating for the first time in its history. Under principal Janice Hamilton Malone, math proficiency jumped from about 18 percent to over 41 percent, and ELA proficiency rose from roughly 21 percent to nearly 45 percent — proof that strong leadership can change outcomes even in high-poverty schools.
How to Check Your School’s Rating
Because results differ so much campus to campus, the best move for any District 5 parent is a direct search on the state’s official report card site — five minutes gives you the real picture for your child’s school.
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Where District 5 and North Charleston Fit In
District 5 covers much of North Charleston, with a mix of elementary, middle, and high schools. Performance here varies, just as it does across the rest of CCSD. Academic Magnet High School earned the district’s top score — an “Excellent” rating of 98 — while three schools received “Unsatisfactory” ratings, with Greg Mathis Charter High School posting the district’s lowest score at 24. The takeaway: check your specific school’s numbers rather than relying on district-wide averages.
Graduation and College & Career Readiness
CCSD’s graduation rate rose to 88.8 percent for the 2024 cohort, up 1.5 points from the prior year. College and career readiness — which factors in AP scores, ACT results, and technical certifications — grew 6.9 points to 80.5 percent districtwide, showing more students leaving high school genuinely prepared.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What are the Charleston County school ratings 2025 based on?
South Carolina’s school report cards evaluate schools on factors like academic achievement, graduation rates, and college and career readiness, resulting in an overall rating such as Excellent, Good, Average, Below Average, or Unsatisfactory.
Q2. Which CCSD school earned the highest rating in 2025? A:
Academic Magnet High School earned the district’s highest rating, an “Excellent” score of 98.
Q3. How can I find the rating for a specific school in District 5?
You can look up any Charleston County school by name on the South Carolina Department of Education’s official school report card website to see its full 2025 results.
Want to know where District 5’s current leadership stands on education priorities? Visit our Priorities page to learn more, or get in touch with any questions about schools in your neighborhood.
