Liberty STEAM Charter (LSC) is proud to be Sumter's first & only public charter school, successfully completing its fourth year of operation serving 731 scholars in grades K-4 across two campuses. LSC exists to serve as the cradle-to-college & workforce pipeline in the Sumter community and has become an integral part of a holistic revitalization approach. We aspire to be a proof point in public education focusing on changing the narrative for what is possible by serving families in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods with the goal of uplifting communities through better educational opportunities for children.
We are currently growing to accommodate over 2,061 scholars amongst four distinguished academies by the 2029-2030 school year. We provide scholars high-
quality STEAM-based education through real-world, interdisciplinary, personalized, & project-based learning experiences across four of Sumter's high demand workforce development pathways: health sciences, business technology, engineering technology, & industrial technology. Throughout our academic program, we want to ensure that we have game-changing opportunities for scholars both inside and outside the classroom that allow us to fulfill our mission of teaching the "whole child." Under the leadership of a volunteer nine-member governing Board of Directors and a leadership team armed with nearly 225 years of collective experience both in the charter and traditional public school sectors, LSC has leveraged innovative practices common to some of the state and nation’s top-performing public schools and has already demonstrated it can shatter the opportunity gap for all scholars and is on track to out-perform some of our community's best traditional public schools. LSC's unique educational model is the epitome of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate, in that it combines both a personalized & project-based learning approach through a longer-school day & year that provides academically rich experiences through the Eureka Math, HMH Reading, Fly Five Social Emotional Learning, & Project Lead the Way curricula. We have a tremendous vision to be a top 10 public school in South Carolina by the year 2030.
Each classroom at both the Primary & Elementary Academy utilizes the co-teacher model with two teachers to offer both remediation & acceleration to scholars throughout the day primarily delivered through small-group instruction. We fiercely believe that each child deserves a quality, world-class education and that's our promise; making an impact in our community while preparing each child who walks through our door to be a well-prepared leader of tomorrow - leaders who intentionally choose to make Sumter their future adult home!
We are proud to be a representation of the community we serve with 13 different zip codes represented, 70% of scholars qualifying for free/reduced lunch, 67% of scholars identify as a minority, 15% of scholars receive special education services, and 11% of scholars are military dependents. Our culture rests on three specific core values for each stakeholder group: scholars (power of team, stand up & own it, and passion for growth), staff (urgently pursue excellence, be the joy, & make the impossible possible), and parents (be the change, be a positive partner, & promote integrity). Collectively, these core values have paved for the way for a year of incredible achievements.
- 53% school-wide reading proficiency
- 68% school-wide math proficiency
- 65% of scholars met their yearlong reading growth targets
- 68% of scholars met their yearlong math growth targets
- 66% Critical Support Intervention scholars met their yearlong reading growth targets
- 61% Critical Support Intervention scholars met their yearlong math growth targets
- 85% of scholars met the social emotional learning proficiency standards
- 84% of scholars met the enrichment proficiency standards
- 100% of scholars have read one million words
- 83% of scholars met the STEAM Scholar Profile
- 95% average daily scholar attendance
- 96% scholar persistence
- 94% parents met their yearlong volunteer hour expectation
- A total of $1.8 million in philanthropic funding was secured
- 100% of LSC employees affirm that LSC is a "Great Place to Work
- 78% Scholar Meal Participation
- Voted "Best Elementary School of Sumter" for a 4th Consecutive Row
- 99% of parents are satisfied with home-school relations & 99% of parents recommend LSC to others
- 11 New community partnerships for the Annual STEAM Workforce Development PATH Capstone Project
- Awarded the 2024 Yass Prize
- 79% of scholars attended at least one of the 177 Saturday School enrichment classes offered this year
- Designated a Project Lead the Way Distinguished District
- Admitted to the Charter School Growth Fund & South Carolina Children's Fund Portfolio
- Awarded the 2025 Career Education Champion Award from Building Hope
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated staff, committed partners, and visionary supporters who have played an integral role in making this year truly exceptional. Your unwavering support has paved the way for a brighter future, igniting a passion for learning and driving us closer to our collective goals. As we navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in our fourth year, we are confident that our shared commitment to education will pave the way for a prosperous and inclusive future. At LSC, we believe the stakes are too high given that scholars only get one shot at a K12 education. Thank you for joining us on this remarkable journey and your contribution in making #TheLibertyDifference.
