Deadline to apply is Jan. 15
From staff reports
The Beaufort County School District will soon be accepting Choice applications for the 2026-27 academic year, the 12th year of the district’s expanded choice initiative. BCSD Choice allows students who live in Beaufort County to apply to participate in a Choice program at a school that’s outside their attendance zone.
Choice applications opened on the district’s website on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025, and must be submitted online by Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, at 5 p.m. Parents who don’t have internet access may request application assistance at any district school.
“We want parents to know that Beaufort County School District is the best choice for their children,” said Superintendent Frank Rodriguez. “Our offerings are extensive, innovative, and engaging. There’s something to match every student’s interests and future career plans.”
Curriculum options approved by the Board of Education include such instructional choices as Advanced Math, Engineering, and Science (AMES), Montessori, International Baccalaureate, arts integration, language immersion, Cambridge Academy, Early College, Medical and Technology pathways, and leadership programs.
Expanded options for include BCSD Tides, a dual enrollment partnership for rising 9th-grade students, and select Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. To learn about each of the district’s choice program offerings please see the BCSD Choice website page at beaufortschools.net/bcsdchoice.
A lottery will be held if the number of choice applications at a school would cause the school to exceed its overall enrollment capacity, or if approved applications would push an individual choice program beyond its capacity.
Beaufort County students who attend choice programs do not pay extra tuition, although families are responsible for their students’ transportation if they live outside of school attendance zones.
To learn more about the individual choice programs and schools, the community is invited to the upcoming BCSD Showcases where attendees can explore everything BCSD schools have to offer — from Pre-K through high school. These events will feature more than 30 schools and dozens of academic, arts, and extracurricular programs across the district. Families will have the chance to:
- Meet principals, teachers, and students;
- Learn about unique academic and extracurricular programs;
- Explore career and technical education opportunities; and …
- Get details about the Choice application process.
Showcases
- Bluffton/Hilton Head-Area Schools Joint Showcase
6-7:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025
Event Location: TCL Culinary Institute of the South, Buckwalter Place, 1 Venture Drive, Bluffton S.C. 29910
- Beaufort Area Schools Joint Showcase
6-7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025
Event Location: Robert Smalls Leadership Academy, 43 W.K. Alston Drive, Beaufort, S.C. 29906
- Hilton Head Island Specific School Showcases
Visit beaufortschools.net/showcase for a list of HHI times/locations.
Hilton Head Island Schools will also be hosting additional specific school showcases as part of the Changemakers grant program.
To see the full list of participating schools and to RSVP, visit beaufortschools.net/showcase.
