York Preparatory Academy, 1047 Golden Gate Court: a free K-12 public charter school, 1,672 students in 2024-25. Lottery applications open Oct. 15.
Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Sources: York Preparatory Academy’s website, including its enrollment and campus, calendar and hours pages; the South Carolina Department of Education’s 2025 report card data; the federal NCES school directory; and the South Carolina High School League’s 2026-28 reclassification.
York Preparatory Academy is a free public charter school for kindergarten through 12th grade at 1047 Golden Gate Court, Rock Hill. It is part of the statewide South Carolina Public Charter School District, not Rock Hill Schools. Founded in 2010, it serves more than 1,650 students in five buildings on a 43-acre campus between Rock Hill and York, off Eastview Road, according to the school’s about page.
Applications for 2027-28 open Thursday, Oct. 15.
Who to call
- Main office: 803-324-4400, 1047 Golden Gate Court
- School website: yorkprepsc.org
- Applying: the school’s enrollment page
- Sports: Patriot Athletics
| Address | 1047 Golden Gate Court, Rock Hill, SC 29732 |
| Phone | 803-324-4400 |
| Grades | K to 12 |
| Type | Public charter school |
| District | South Carolina Public Charter School District |
How admission works
York Prep has no attendance zone. Any eligible student in K5 through 12th grade who lives in South Carolina can apply, and the school says it charges no tuition or fees, according to its enrollment page.
- Lottery window: applications must be submitted from Oct. 15 and received by 11:59 p.m. Feb. 15. Applications sent before Oct. 15 or after Feb. 15 are not entered in the lottery.
- The lottery: held in February for the following school year.
- After the lottery: the school keeps taking applications all year, stamps them with the date and time and places them at the end of any waiting list.
- Not eligible: students expelled for a violent offense or an offense involving a weapon, or facing legal consequences for such an offense, according to the school.
Enrollment and teachers
- State count: 1,672 students in the 2024-25 school year, according to South Carolina’s 2025 report card data.
- Federal count: 1,681 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 111 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 15 students per teacher.
State report card
South Carolina rates public schools, charter schools included, on a 100-point scale as Excellent, Good, Average, Below Average or Unsatisfactory, using test results, student growth, graduation rates, English learners’ progress, college and career readiness and school climate. A K-12 school gets a separate rating for each level. On the 2026 report card, covering 2025-26, York Prep’s high school is rated Excellent (72), its middle school Good (55) and its elementary school Good (53). The table below is from the 2025 report card, covering 2024-25:
| Level | Rating | Score | Key results |
|---|---|---|---|
| High school | Excellent | 68 | 97.8% graduation rate; 72.6% scored A, B or C on English end-of-course tests and 49.3% in math |
| Middle school | Average | 47 | 67.1% met or exceeded expectations in SC READY English and 39.7% in math |
| Elementary school | Average | 50 | 72.5% met or exceeded expectations in SC READY English and 59.8% in math |
At the high school, 68.9% of the graduating class was rated college or career ready.
Calendar and school hours
From the school’s campus, calendar and hours page:
- Elementary (K5 to fourth grade): 8 a.m. to 2:35 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday
- Student Union (fifth grade) and middle school (sixth to eighth): 8:15 a.m. to 3:05 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 8:15 a.m. to 1:20 p.m. Friday
- High school: 8:15 a.m. to 3:07 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 8:15 a.m. to 1:32 p.m. Friday
York Prep sets its own school calendar, posted on the same page; it does not follow the Rock Hill Schools calendar.
Sports
York Prep is a 2A school in Region 3 for the 2026-28 alignment, with Andrew Jackson, Chester, Columbia, Keenan, Mid-Carolina and Newberry, according to the South Carolina High School League’s 2026-28 reclassification, which marks York Prep as a school that does not play football. Teams are on the school’s Patriot Athletics page. Local scores are on our scoreboard.
More
- Every public school in Rock Hill, with zones and report cards
- Rock Hill’s other charter schools: Riverwalk Academy, Legion Collegiate Academy and The Palmetto School
- Our Rock Hill schools guide for the Rock Hill Schools calendar and school board
Frequently asked questions
What grades does York Preparatory Academy serve?
York Prep serves kindergarten through 12th grade on one campus, according to the school’s website.
How do I apply to York Prep?
Apply online. Applications for the 2027-28 school year open Oct. 15, 2026, and must be in by 11:59 p.m. Feb. 15 to be part of the February lottery. Applications after that go on a waiting list in the order received.
Does York Prep charge tuition?
No. York Prep is a state-funded public charter school and says it charges no tuition or fees. Any eligible K5 to 12th grade student living in South Carolina can apply.
What is York Prep’s state report card rating?
On South Carolina’s 2026 report card, York Prep’s high school is rated Excellent (72 points out of 100), its middle school Good (55) and its elementary school Good (53). In 2025 they were Excellent (68), Average (47) and Average (50).
What time does York Prep start?
Elementary classes run 8 a.m. to 2:35 p.m. Monday to Thursday; middle school runs 8:15 a.m. to 3:05 p.m. and high school 8:15 a.m. to 3:07 p.m. Fridays end earlier, according to the school’s website.
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