Enrollment
392
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Charleston, SC
James Simons Montessori
Federal NCES profile for James Simons Montessori, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450144000228
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 73
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
James Simons Montessori earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of South Carolina schools.
- #11 of 21
- schools in Charleston · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.7:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
James Simons Montessori has class sizes larger than 72% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, James Simons Montessori ranks #11 of 21 schools in Charleston, SC.
School address
District: Charleston 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450144000228 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.7:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James Simons Montessori compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at James Simons Montessori
James Simons Montessori is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Charleston, South Carolina, enrolling 392 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.7:1 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 100.0% lands close to the South Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 392 puts it in the smaller third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 333 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #50.
Its student body is led by White (56%) and African American (28%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 392 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
10.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Charleston's public schools, it stands alongside Orange Grove Charter School (1,170 students): James Simons Montessori is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.7:1 vs 15.8:1).
Charleston 01 also operates Wando High (2,588 students) and Rb Stall High (2,135 students) alongside James Simons Montessori.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How James Simons Montessori compares
James Simons Montessori on the metrics families compare, against South Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs South Carolina | South Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.7:1 | ▲ 10% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 392 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.7:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
392
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% above the South Carolina average of 74.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.7:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 72% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
10.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$15,213
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Carolina avg of $14,558
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 392 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
18
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 55.9%
African American 28.3%
Hispanic or Latino 8.7%
Two or More 6.4%
Asian 0.8%
Largest group: White at 55.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.6, James Simons Montessori is more mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Charleston 01, which includes James Simons Montessori.
$15,213
Per student
+4%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 59.0%
State 27.7%
Federal 13.3%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How James Simons Montessori Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wando High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rb Stall High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Ashley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lucy Garrett Beckham High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| James Island Charter High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to James Simons Montessori's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,588
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,135
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,069
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,757
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,612
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar other schools in Charleston
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Orange Grove Charter School
Standard public school
1,170 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Daniel Island School
Standard public school
1,151 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Stiles Point Elementary
Standard public school
866 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
St. Andrew's School of Math and Science
Standard public school
769 students 16:1 students per teacher
Springfield Elementary
Standard public school
679 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Drayton Hall Elementary
Standard public school
640 students 16:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of South Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~392 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James Simons Montessori's federal record.
- Compare James Simons Montessori against another school. Compare schools
- Charleston 01's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about James Simons Montessori
How many students attend James Simons Montessori?
James Simons Montessori has 392 students enrolled. It is a public school in Charleston, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James Simons Montessori?
The student-teacher ratio at James Simons Montessori is 15.7:1, which is 10% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 0% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at James Simons Montessori?
100.0% of students at James Simons Montessori are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James Simons Montessori?
The largest demographic group at James Simons Montessori is White at 55.9% of enrollment, in Charleston, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James Simons Montessori?
James Simons Montessori has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does James Simons Montessori rank among schools in Charleston?
By Resource Investment Index, James Simons Montessori ranks #11 of 21 schools in Charleston, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Charleston on the city page.
Is James Simons Montessori a good school?
James Simons Montessori earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of South Carolina schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Charleston 01?
Besides James Simons Montessori, Charleston 01 also operates Wando High (2,588 students), Rb Stall High (2,135 students), and West Ashley High (2,069 students). See the Charleston 01 district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.