Chestnut Lake

This school has set high standards in many aspects. Award winning. Lunch is healthy unlike in many other schools.

As a former employee, I have to say this is perhaps one of the worst schools in South Carolina. The administration is incompotent and vendictive. If a teacher dares to complain about something they are immediately targeted by administration and "Put in their place." A good portion of the students have stuggled in public schools. For some it's academics, for others its behavior. Many come to HPA to avoid being either expelled or sent to an alternative school. Once at HPA, their struggles continue but teachers are told to "get them through" so the school maintains its high graduation rate. Discipline is erratic at best and many teachers leave feeling tramatized. At least one teacher a year is fired at the behest of a parent of a child who would likely be expelled at a real school. The pay is low. The school takes a portion of each the money the state provides for each teacher's salary. As a result, some are earning $10,000 less per year than they would receive at another school. Teachers are also required to do service projects such as repairing structural problems in the school or deep cleaning the bathrooms. If you are either thinking of sending your child to HPA or working there, I strongly suggest you reconsider. The school puts on a great front, but behind the scenes it is a house of cards ready to fold.