Schools - Mt. Pleasant area - Public vs Private (Charleston: middle school, college)

[msec]

Good morning everyone!

My family is considering relocating from CT to the Charleston Area - Mt. Pleasant to be exact. I have been doing some 'internet' research on the public schools in the Mt. Pleasant area and most appear to be good - does anybody know how they would compare to the public schools in the CT/MA area? Should I consider going the Private school route?

Any thoughts or comments on the Mt. Pleasant area schools (both public & private) would be greatly appeciated!! We have children that are elementary & middle school age.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give!!

[USCJoe]

I have lived in Mt. Pleasant since 1988 with both my daughters going through the Mt. Pleasant school system, graduating from Wando High School and doing quite well in college. Prior to relocating to Mt. Pleasant, I lived in Fairfax county, Va. which has an good public school academic reputation. Having graduated from the William Penn Charter School, an excellent private school in Philadlphia, Pa., the school system was a high priority when I moved to the Charleston area.
I think if I had the financial resources to send my children to a private school such as Porter Gaud and Ashley Hall, that I might give strong consideration to sending them there or to a comparable school in the area. I would suspect that the academic challenges that a child would encounter at either school, as well as some other private schools in Charleston would be greater than found at the public schools in the area. However, the same could probably be said when comparing most any other good private school in the US with the public schools in the same area.
Nevertheless, I think that any child who applies themselves well to the academic environment found in many of the Charleston area schools,to include Mt. Pleasant, can get an excellent education and do well in college. A lot can be said for the advantages of the diversification of the student body found in public schools and often times a public school education will put less strain on family finances. I would recommend that you visit the various public schools in Mt. Pleasant to get a feel for the teaching environment and atmosphere and decide whether the added expense is necessary. Much may depend upon how the local public schoold compare to those you are familiar with in the CT/MA area. I have had a number of clients from the CT/MA area who have sent their children to the Mt. Pleasant public schools and appear to be satisfied with their public school educational experience.