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Carolus Online Academy

Q: Is Carolus Online Academy a good school?

Carolus Online Academy ranks in the bottom 0.2% of South Carolina alternative schools.

Q: How many students attend Carolus Online Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,786 students attended Carolus Online Academy.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Carolus Online Academy?

Students at Carolus Online Academy are 47% White, 35% African American, 9% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

Public, Charter, Virtual, Alternative Grades K-12

639^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 640 South Carolina Alternative Schools

Better than 0% of South Carolina alternative schools

Summary

Carolus Online Academy is a public charter virtual elementary school serving grades K-8 in Columbia, South Carolina, with 402 students. Despite being part of the School Public Charter School District, which is ranked 30 out of 75 districts in the state, Carolus Online Academy has consistently underperformed, ranking 639 out of 640 elementary schools in South Carolina with a 0-star rating.

The school's struggles are widespread, with Carolus Online Academy ranking in the bottom 5-10% of South Carolina elementary schools for all student subgroups, including females, males, African American students, white students, low socioeconomic status students, and disabled students. Academically, the school significantly underperforms the district and state averages across a wide range of standardized tests, with only 14.4% of students proficient or better in EOCEP/Algebra 1/Mathematics, compared to 63.56% for the Richland 01 district and 73.95% for the state.

The nearby public schools in the Richland 01 district, such as Rosewood Elementary, Arden Elementary, and Hyatt Park Elementary, while not high-performing themselves, significantly outperform Carolus Online Academy on most metrics, including test scores, student growth, and school climate indicators. The poor performance of Carolus Online Academy, a virtual charter school, may suggest that the virtual learning model presents unique challenges for elementary-aged students that the school has not been able to effectively address.

1,786

Students ?

27.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,912

Per pupil spending ?

48.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

101 Westpark Boulevard Suite C
Columbia, SC 29210

(866) 968-7512

District: School Public Charter School District

Racial breakdown:

White:

47.4%

African American:

35.4%

Hispanic:

8.7%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Carolus Online Academy to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — <1st percentile in 2025 → <1st in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (30% vs 56% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (<1st percentile)

!Graduation rate below the South Carolina average (52% vs 87%)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school30%

District avg53%

South Carolina avg56%

Elementary school

639^th of 640

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 1%

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

319^th of 320

South Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 1%

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 8Alternative Schools in the School Public Charter School District

30^th of 75School Public Charter School District among South Carolina districts

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

Disabled (2025)11th percentile+11 vs school

Female (2025)1st percentile~ school

Male (2025)<1st percentile~ school

African American (2025)<1st percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)<1st percentile~ school

White (2025)<1st percentile~ school

Middle school

Disabled (2025)7th percentile+7 vs school

African American (2025)1st percentile~ school

Male (2025)1st percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)1st percentile~ school

Female (2025)<1st percentile~ school

White (2025)<1st percentile~ school

By subject vs South Carolina (2024-2025) ?

English 277%-9 vs state

Mathematics35%-9 vs state

U.S. History and the Constitution30%-32 vs state

English Language Arts28%-31 vs state

English 121%-41 vs state

Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 214%-60 vs state

Science12%-36 vs state

★

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Schools Near Carolus Online Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				SC READY English Language Arts (2025)						SC READY Mathematics (2025)						SC READY Science (2025)		EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (2025)	EOCEP English 1 (2025)	EOCEP U.S. History and the Constitution (2025)	EOCEP English 2 (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	SC READY English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 4th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 5th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 6th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 7th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 8th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 3rd Grade	SC READY Mathematics 4th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 5th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 6th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 7th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 8th Grade	SC READY Science 4th Grade	SC READY Science 6th Grade	EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 End of Course	EOCEP English 1 End of Course	EOCEP U.S. History and the Constitution End of Course	EOCEP English 2 End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Carolus Online Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter, Alternative	K-12	101 Westpark Boulevard Suite C	Columbia	29210	Lexington County	School Public Charter School District	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(866) 968-7512	1,786	64	27.9		846 (47.4%)	633 (35.4%)	155 (8.7%)	4 (0.2%)	19 (1.1%)	7 (0.4%)	122 (6.8%)								(n/a)	23.8	26.5	24.6	34.9	30.4	26.9	9.5	8.3	4.0	4.5	3.2	1.3	9.1	14.9	14.4	21.2	29.5	77.2	$9,912	$67	$173	$240	$2,607	$7,064	$9,671
SCDJJ Evaluation and Detention Center	Public, Alternative	4-12	5000 Broad River Road	Columbia	29212	Richland County	Dept of Juvenile Justice	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 896-9037	417	38	11.1		82 (19.7%)	316 (75.8%)	15 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)								(n/a)
School Connections Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter, Alternative	K-12	201 Executive Center Drive Sui	Columbia	29210	Lexington County	Charter Institute at Erskine	Yes	No	Yes	No	(803) 212-4712	6,152	268	22.9		3,858 (62.7%)	1,255 (20.4%)	526 (8.6%)	33 (0.5%)	26 (0.4%)	8 (0.1%)	446 (7.2%)								(n/a)	44.8	46.0	55.4	59.0	57.4	60.4	23.2	22.5	20.3	17.4	20.8	17.9	33.4	38.9	42.5	53.3	49.1	87.4	$8,987	$494	$01	$494	$3,154	$5,338	$8,492
Clear Dot Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	PK, KG-11	2015 Marion Street	Columbia	29201	Richland County	Charter Institute at Erskine	Yes	No	No	Yes	(803) 567-3075	474	42	11.2		55 (11.6%)	383 (80.8%)	15 (3.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.2%)								(n/a)	46.1	24.5	40.0	39.5	37.0	26.9	25.6	14.3	27.5	5.3	11.1	7.7	18.3	15.8		9.5	45.8	60.0	$12,810	$2,409	$1,018	$3,427	$6,273	$3,110	$9,383
South Carolina Virtual Charter School	Public, Virtual, Charter, Alternative	K-12	2023 Platt Springs Road	West Columbia	29169	Lexington County	Charter Institute at Erskine	Yes	No	Yes	No	(803) 253-6222	2,180	126	17.2		1,210 (55.5%)	585 (26.8%)	177 (8.1%)	14 (0.6%)	5 (0.2%)	4 (0.2%)	185 (8.5%)								(n/a)	68.0	60.0	58.4	56.2	58.2	53.8	31.2	28.3	23.9	23.3	26.0	12.7	36.0	38.1	61.0	62.6	53.4	87.1	$9,690	$540	$48	$588	$7,296	$1,806	$9,102
Pendergrass Fairwold School	Public, Alternative	K-12	5935 Token Street	Columbia	29203	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 735-3435	46	14	3.2		4 (8.7%)	37 (80.4%)	3 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.3%)								(n/a)																			$68,847	$4,265	$1,123	$5,389	$58,171	$5,288	$63,459
American Leadership Academy South Carolina-Lexington Campu	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	109 Innovation Drive	Lexington	29072	Lexington County	Charter Institute at Erskine	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(803) 756-2724	1,979	157	12.6		1,305 (65.9%)	271 (13.7%)	189 (9.6%)	88 (4.4%)	7 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	118 (6.0%)								(n/a)	69.3	74.9	66.1	63.9	65.5	60.0	51.6	61.3	44.1	39.2	33.0	25.7	54.9	63.4	68.6	61.1	52.8	98.3	$11,553		$157	$157	$5,086	$6,310	$11,396

Frequently Asked Questions about Carolus Online Academy

Is Carolus Online Academy a good school?

Carolus Online Academy ranks in the bottom 0.2% of South Carolina alternative schools.

How many students attend Carolus Online Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,786 students attended Carolus Online Academy.

What district is Carolus Online Academy in?

School Public Charter School District

What is the racial makeup of Carolus Online Academy?

Students at Carolus Online Academy are 47% White, 35% African American, 9% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

Rate Carolus Online Academy!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the South Carolina Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.