Harbor View Elementary School

My oldest child started Memminger in CD-4 and will be graduating from this wonderful school this month. My youngest also started in pre-k, but moved to Buist for 3rd grade--which is not a move I would've opted for except we preferred Buist to our in-district middle school. All that to say, with Memminger becoming a Buist feeder school, the school demographics have shifted dramatically in this time--not necessarily for the better of the community and public, if you ask me, but I digress. What has been the same since we started, is the absolutely amazing, warm, inclusive culture at Memminger--thanks to truly amazing teachers, staff and administrators. This is a place where teachers seem happy and engaged, and everyone knows your child's name, whether they've had them in class or not. Dottie Brown was an amazing principle, and Cheryl Wash has been an exceptional vice and interim principal (who every bit deserved the full-time role, as I'm sure the vast majority of parents and educators would agree, but again, I digress). What you see on scorecards never gives a full picture. If I had used them to guide my decision about where to send my children, rather than my intuition, after visiting the school and getting to know the amazing educators and atmosphere (special shout out to Ms. Inabinet)I may not have sent my children to this wonderful gem of a school. My children both tested as gifted and have high 90th percentiles in iReady thanks in no small part to the excellent education provided by this school and the very dedicated educators. As a parent, I will miss this place tremendously--and I imagine the same is true of my kids.

I have been harassed by teachers and student and even the principal. DO NOT GO HERE

We love SASMS!!!! My daughter is in 2nd grade and has attended since kindergarten. She is excited to go each day, loves the engaging curriculum and special contests. I love how diverse the “special areas” are - she has art, music, stem, makers space, library, P.E, and second steps. Second steps focuses on emotional intelligence and understanding how other children are feeling. Her teachers each year have been unique and special. She is in classes with a children from diverse backgrounds, which is very important to us.The principal and assistant principal are engaged, and the PTA has great events, so you can meet other parents and feel a part of the community!

Stiles point has a large number of excellent teachers and our overall experience has been excellent.GreatSchools has a couple of errors or things I think are unfair.1) Security is excellent. Full-time guards are present and access is well controlled.2) GreatSchools marks progress low. This may be true, but it's based on students already performing at the top of the range. As the parent of a G&T student here, I would like to see more done to help overachievers reach their full potential, potentially even advanced classes moving them through additional grade levels without officially advancing them above grade age, but it's difficult to fault the school for being full of high performing students.It's odd to see JI Elementary rated higher here. In terms of raw scores, Stiles Point has a much larger percentage of students achieving at or above grade level than JI does. We've considered whether it would make sense to try to get our child into Buist and decided against it.

Nativity School is the best kept secret in Charleston. The school and grounds are beautiful; the new entrance, offices, and gym renovation are absolutely beautiful. Our children have received a faith-based education with small classes and rigorous academics. Tutoring and other resources are available to ensure all children succeed. Tuition is manageable and financial aid is available. Our 8th grader has attended Nativity School since K4, and was just accepted into both Bishop England and Academic Magnet High Schools. We cannot say enough wonderful things about Nativity School. It will always feel like our home away from home.

I have three kids that have attended BSCS. My oldest went on to BE, my middle child is now at Academic Magnet, and my youngest is still at BSCS. The academics are excellent. My oldest transferred easily into the BE honors program, graduating in the top 10 in his class, and getting accepted at his number one, two, and third-choice schools. Going to his first choice on a full academic scholarship! I am confident his strong foundation in math and English opened up these opportunities for him. My middle child is not at AMHS and is thriving. She is excelling in all her honors and AP classes and is now recognizing just how excellent her foundations are in comparison to her peers who come from schools all over the county. My youngest is till at BSCS, and I am confident that she will have the same opportunities as my other two. So the academics are excellent.But I think they all benefited the most from the community. My son joined in middle school, and his two best friends from his first year are still his best friends. With shifts in the arts program and sports, my youngest has close friends not only in her grade but both the grades above and below her. It is a welcoming, open, and supportive environment. The academics are excellent but the community makes it unbeatable.