Funded: Charters

Charter funding policies and reporting practices within each state may vary depending on the entity that authorized the charter school. Charter schools in South Carolina may be authorized by local school districts, the State Board of Education, or another entity, such as institutions of higher education.

Funding for some charter schools in South Carolina is calculated based on a formula similar to the one used to calculate funding for traditional public schools and funding for other charter schools is calculated based on a formula distinct from the one used to calculate funding for traditional public schools.

Like traditional public schools, charter schools authorized by local school districts receive funding based on the characteristics of the students they serve, with multipliers applied to their student count for English-language learners, students from low-income households, students with disabilities, gifted students, and students in career and technical education programs. For each weighted student count, these locally authorized charter schools receive the total revenue per weighted student count in their authorizing school district. Meanwhile, charter schools that are authorized by the state or by an institution of higher learning are funded as directed by the state legislature.

Some charter schools in South Carolina receive all funding directly from the state, while others receive all funding through local school districts.

Charter schools authorized by an entity other than local school districts receive funding directly from the state. Charter schools authorized by local school districts receive funding through their authorizing school districts.

Charter schools in South Carolina will have a share of their funding withheld, with the maximum set by state law.

The statewide sponsoring agency, the South Carolina Public Charter School District, and a higher education charter sponsor may retain up to 2% of charter funding to cover the costs of overseeing charter schools. State law in South Carolina does not specify that a share of charter funding is withheld from charter schools authorized by local school districts.

Some charter schools in South Carolina receive a share of local tax revenue, while other charter schools do not.

Charter schools authorized by a local school district receive a share of revenue raised by their local school district or by the county in which they are located. Funding for locally authorized charter schools is based on total revenue, including both state and local revenue, in the authorizing district. Charter schools authorized by some other entity do not a receive a share of local revenue.

Charter schools in South Carolina are part of local education agencies.

Charter schools authorized by a local school district are a part of the district’s local education agency. For charter schools authorized by a statewide sponsoring agency, the agency serves as the local education agency.

Charter school students in South Carolina are counted as students of the school district in which the charter school is located for state reporting purposes.

State funding for charter schools in South Carolina is reported as part of state funding for the school district where the charter school is located.

Charter school expenditures in South Carolina are reported as part of expenditures of the school district where the charter school is located.

Click here for South Carolina's traditional district funding information.