PCSD Celebrates 65 Perfect Scorers on 2026 SC READY

What does true mastery look like? For 65 students in South Carolina Public Charter School District (PCSD) schools, it looks like a perfect score.

These students earned a maximum score on the 2026 SC READY assessments, and PCSD honored them at a recent board meeting. Fifty-four of them came forward with their school leaders for a photo with Superintendent Neeley, a certificate from the District, and a PCSD lapel pin to wear proudly. Families then stayed to celebrate over a special lunch.

What a Maximum Score Means

SC READY measures how well students are performing on the South Carolina College-and Career-Ready Standards, which spell out what schools are expected to teach and what students are expected to learn. Every test item is aligned to the standards for its subject and grade level.

That makes a maximum score more than a great test day. It shows a student has truly mastered what’s expected at their grade level.

The 2026 Results

Some students earned a maximum score in more than one subject, so these counts add up to more than 65:

• Math: 48 students
• English Language Arts: 14 students
• Science: 7 students

Heath Wilkerson of East Point Academy earned a maximum score in all three as a 4th grader. Kai Wen Zhang of East Link Academy and Harlan Tyler of East Point Academy each did it in both ELA and Math. Several honorees, including Harlan and Heath, have also earned a maximum score on a previous SC READY assessment.

What’s Behind the Scores

Results like these take a whole team. They reflect four things working together:

• Parent choice: families choosing the right educational fit for their child
• School innovation: instructional practices that schools have the freedom to design
• Teacher autonomy: educators empowered to use best practices in their classrooms
• Student effort: the hard work that turned all of it into mastery

As the state’s charter school authorizer, PCSD puts #KidsFirst by supporting public charter schools where this kind of achievement can take root in communities across South Carolina.

Meet the Students Honored

Congratulations to these students, recognized by school:

Discovery School Myrtle Beach

• Michael Garcia II: 4th grade ELA
• Trace Murdock: 5th grade Math
• Joseph Fardella: 4th grade Math
• Kylee Burnett: 3rd grade Math
• Emerson Mayo: 4th grade Math

East Point Academy

• Prisha Basyall: 4th grade Math
• Elliot Cartzendafner: 3rd grade Math
• Leigh “Tripp” Hanes: 4th grade Math
• Brooks Martin: 5th grade Math
• Rhia Regmi: 4th grade Math; previously 3rd grade ELA
• Brennan Rose: 4th grade Science
• Harlan Tyler: 4th grade ELA and Math; previously 3rd grade Math
• Heath Wilkerson: 4th grade ELA, Math and Science; previously 3rd grade Math

GREEN Charter School – Greenville

• Daniel Pena: 4th grade Math
• Silas Parker: 3rd grade Math
• Gabriella Blackwell: 4th grade ELA
• James Hayes: 4th grade Math
• Aashka Aravinda Prasad: 5th grade Math

GREEN Charter School – Simpsonville

• Austin Brunt: 4th grade Math
• Jadarrius Smith: 4th grade Science

Greer Preparatory Academy

• Akito Lightvoet: 7th grade Math

Heartwood Community School

• King McCreary: 3rd grade ELA

High Point Academy

• Olivia Larsen: 3rd grade ELA

Horse Creek Academy

• Matthew Tolias: 5th grade Math
• Violet Summer: 3rd grade ELA

Liberty STEAM Charter School

• Kenneth Pipenburg: 5th grade Math
• Zachary Rogers: 5th grade Math
• Abraham Fuller: 5th grade Math; previously 4th grade Math
• Samuel Teatin: 4th grade Math

Lowcountry Montessori School

• Lily Warnick: 3rd grade Math

Riverwalk Academy

• John Butler: 6th grade Science

Spartanburg Preparatory School

• Reed Mueller: 6th grade ELA

Summerville Preparatory School

• Logan Trahan: 4th grade Math

York Preparatory Academy

• Brooke Mullins: 4th grade ELA
• Isabelle Rozzi: 6th grade ELA
• Lewis Geddes: 3rd grade Math
• Alex Aguilar: 6th grade Math; previously 4th grade Math
• Hunter Pellegrino: 3rd grade ELA
• Emily Stopchick: 4th grade Math
• Tanner Gibson: 6th grade Math; previously 5th grade Math
• Louis Hobert: 4th grade Math
• Rebecca Hamon: 6th grade Science

Keep the Momentum Going

Congratulations to our perfect scorers, their families, their teachers and their school leaders. You set a high bar, and we can’t wait to see what you do next.

Want to learn more about PCSD and the public charter schools it authorizes across South Carolina? Visit sccharter.org.