Charter school opens; Charleston County students return to school

Stephanie Dotson wasn't satisfied with the school options in her North Charleston community, so she opted to home school her children.

But after she heard about the Charleston Charter School for Math & Science, she decided to submit an application for her seventh- and ninth-grade children to attend the public school. Both were accepted, and Dotson couldn't have been happier about the school opening on Tuesday.

"I'm hoping it's all they want it to be," she said. "I think it's going to be good."

Thousands of Charleston County public school students ended their summer vacation and returned to class on Tuesday. The district increased its first day attendance by about 1,000 students from last year to 39,999 students this year, but an estimated 2,653 students didn't show up for the first day of class. That's an absentee rate of about 6 percent, which is the lowest rate in the past five years. School officials have teamed up with police and community leaders to push initiatives that encourage students to be at school on the first day.

Read more in tomorrow's editions of The Post and Courier.