Welcome New Tigers!

Early College High School at Wilmot J. Fraser Campus

63 Columbus Street, Charleston, SC 29403

Phone: (843) 400-1999

En español

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Congratulations! Your student has been accepted into Early College High School (ECHS) as part of the Class of 2029. We are excited to have you, and your student, join the Early College tradition of success. We know that ECHS will offer an academically rigorous, college-oriented high school experience like no other in Charleston County.

Thank you for choosing Early College and we look forward to meeting you all in the fall! Please have a safe and fun filled summer break.

Please see the attached ECHS 25-26 Acceptance Letter. The letter details important security information regarding some ECHS classrooms being located on TTC's Palmer Campus. The letter also details information related to dual credit enrollment and the Immigration Reform Act of 2008. A digital copy of the letter will be sent in a separate email by Ms. Sheena Thomas from sheena_thomas@charleston.k12.sc.us. All students will need to have a signed copy of the ECHS 25-26 Acceptance Letter on file prior to the first day of school.

Annual Registration and Residency Verification are required for all CCSD students each year!

If your student is new to CCSD, you will need to go to ccsdschools.com/registration to register your student. Parents/Guardians with returning CCSD students will be able to use the PowerSchool Parent Portal to register for the 2025-2026 school year. You will need to log into your Parent Portal account and update the information in your account.

Please select your student's residential or homeschool when registering. Early College High School is a program school, and students will remain linked to their homeschools in PowerSchool. All pertinent information will be shared between your student's residential/homeschool and ECHS.

You can go to the district website at ccsdschools.com/parentportalvideos to watch videos that explain how to create and access your Parent Portal account including resetting your password.

Early College follows a unique 190-day academic calendar. ECHS's Academic Calendar is designed to eliminate many of the gaps between TTC’s and CCSD’s academic calendars and to maximize the time students have in dual enrollment courses. As a result, Early College's term dates, vacations, and early release days do not always align with CCSD.

You can find the 2025-26 ECHS Academic Calendar here.

It is important to note that Early College is required to follow all SC Dept. of Education attendance requirements regarding lawful and unlawful absences. Additional information regarding student attendance requirements can be found here.

Please reserve Tuesday, July 29th, 2025, for our 9th Grade Student and Parent Orientation. This event will help familiarize ECHS 9th-grade students with the ECHS Fraser Building and the TTC Palmer Campus, ECHS procedures, and allow students to meet their 9th-grade teachers and peers. Parents/Guardians will also have the opportunity to learn more about the "ECHS Way," pay student fees, and pick up school supplies for the year. Please note that parents/guardians will have a separate orientation as students will participate in activities separate from parents.

9th Grade Orientation List of Activities:

• 9th Graders will take school pictures during orientation - Picture Day!
• Complete back-to-school forms
• Student schedule, Chromebook, and school supply pickup
• Campus orientation and Q&A with faculty and staff

Location: Early College High School, Fraser Building (63 Columbus St.)

Time: 8:00 am to 11:00 am

*Please note that this is a parent and student orientation and parents/guardians are requested to attend with their student.

Parking will be available on the TTC Palmer Campus at 66 Columbus Street.

Chromebooks - Please see the ECHS Chromebook AUP. Page ten of the ECHS Chromebook AUP will need to be signed prior to students receiving their Chromebooks (copies will be provided at orientation).

Each student is responsible for paying the following fees. Student supplies are purchased by ECHS and selected by the AVID Team. Yearly fees are $55.

Instructional Technology and School Supplies Fee - $40

• This fee helps offset the cost of the initial school supplies that ECHS provides. Once the fee is paid, students will receive the following items: an ECHS backpack, student agenda, spiral notebooks, pens, pencils, and highlighters.
• Part of the fee also funds the purchase of instructional technology such as Mastery Connect, Gimkit, and science lab supplies.

Portrait & ID Fee - $15

• Student portraits will be taken at 9th-grade orientation. Students will receive four 2x3 photos and two 3x5 photos. This fee also includes two free student IDs and lanyards. The $15 portrait fee is required for all students.

School fees can be paid after July 1st via RevTrak prior to school orientation. Also, please remember to bring your receipt to verify payment.

All incoming 9th-grade students are required to complete a Summer Writing Assignment. The assignment is due Friday, Aug. 15th, and will count as part of students' Q1 grades.

While ECHS does not require uniforms, we do adhere to the CCSD Student Dress Code. CCSD guidelines regarding student attire can be found here.

All students who are enrolled in dual credit classes are required to sign this contract. The purpose of the contract is to educate students and parents about TTC policies and the importance and nuances of keeping a high college GPA. A copy of the ECHS Dual Credit Commitment Form will be included in the back-to-school packets at 9th Grade Orientation for parents to sign.

CCSD and ECHS are committed to the success of all students. Students are expected to put forth their best effort at all times. TTC tuition, books, and related fees are completely paid for by CCSD and Charleston County taxpayers. TTC course failures related to a lack of effort, not completing work, or instances of academic dishonesty, may result in parents being asked to repay the cost of TTC tuition and fees as outlined in the contract.

Please note the following regarding residency verification for dual credit students:

The South Carolina Illegal Immigration Reform Act of 2008 prohibits individuals unlawfully in the United States from attending a public institution of higher education in South Carolina and from receiving a public higher education benefit. More information can be found here.

Additionally, The South Carolina Commission of Higher Education has determined that US citizen students who are dependent on a parent or guardian determined to be a "non-resident alien," or "person who is not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States," are not eligible for in-state tuition. Students who are dependent upon a parent that is not a US citizen or permanent resident must complete the TTC Application for Classification as a South Carolina Resident and provide documentation to be granted in-state residency status.

The following documents may be required in order to determine in-state residency:

• Copy of Driver's License or state issued Identification Card
• Copy of Vehicle Registration
• Copy of mortgage or lease agreement
• Letter of employment, on official letterhead, verifying full-time employment
• Copy of South Carolina income tax form from previous year

ECHS utilizes CCSD magnet bus stops and transportation procedures. Student addresses are pulled from PowerSchool and ECHS stops are routed to centralized meeting points.

CCSD policy establishes that a stop must be within 5 miles of the student’s home address. It is the family’s responsibility to get the students to and from the stop.

We expect bus routes to be published at this link in late July. Once published, if you do not see a stop within five miles of your home address, please complete the form at this link.

Pro Tip: Students may ride any ECHS-designated bus to and from school.

If you have any bus-related complaints throughout the year, please use this link to log your complaint. This is the way that CCSD tracks bus issues and shares them with First Student.

When using the School Bus Locator, be sure to use the picture below for reference.

Website: https://www.ccsdschools.com/earlycollege
Location: 66 Columbus Street suite 210a, Charleston, SC, USA
Phone: (843) 720-5701