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Enroll in Myrtle Beach
STEM Academy
Timeline for Applying to the Myrtle Beach STEM Charter School
Waitlist
Continues to accept after lottery deadline and seats may open throughout the year.
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Eligibility & Enrollment Basics
Open to all SC public-school‑eligible students—SC charter schools cannot charge tuition and are tuition‑free public schools. Enrollment for Charter school application is open to any child eligible for public school in SC, unless it's a single-gender school under its charter.
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Residency rules: Many schools require that students live in the sponsoring district or county (e.g. Charleston County for CCSMS), typically verified by a specific date (e.g. July 1)
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Tuition-free STEM admissions.
Lottery System & Preferences
If more students apply than there are available seats, admission is determined via random lottery.
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Guaranteed Preferences (no lottery):
According to 2025 law (Senate Bill 3862, effective May 12, 2025), charter schools must exclude certain groups from the lottery and admit them directly, up to defined limits.
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Returning students from the previous year.
(automatic continuation)
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Siblings of current or recent students.
(within 6 years attendance)
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Children of school employees or board members, if number doesn't exceed 20% of total enrollment.
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Dependents of active-duty military personnel, capped at 10% of total enrollment.
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For Alternative Education Campus charters serving educationally disadvantaged students, mission-aligned weighted preferences may be allowed under ESSA guidelines.
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If a student is eligible under multiple categories, the school chooses which one applies. If a quota is already filled, the student may enter the lottery as usual.