Enrollment
408
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Beaufort, SC
Lowcountry Montessori School
Federal NCES profile for Lowcountry Montessori School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450390101646Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 85
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lowcountry Montessori School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of South Carolina schools.
- #2 of 9
- schools in Beaufort · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 13.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Lowcountry Montessori School has class sizes larger than 84% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lowcountry Montessori School ranks #2 of 9 schools in Beaufort, SC.
School address
District: Sc Public Charter School District · South Carolina
NCES ID 450390101646 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
13.9%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-81% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lowcountry Montessori School compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lowcountry Montessori School
Lowcountry Montessori School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Beaufort, South Carolina, enrolling 408 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17:1 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 13.9% free-meal eligibility runs 81% below the South Carolina average.
Enrollment of 408 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 30 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #15.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and African American (16%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 204 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Sc Public Charter School District spends $22,523 per pupil, 55% above the South Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Beaufort's public schools, it stands alongside Bridges Preparatory School (1,472 students): Lowcountry Montessori School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17:1 vs 16.9:1).
Sc Public Charter School District also operates York Preparatory Academy (1,672 students) and Legacy Early College (1,592 students) alongside Lowcountry Montessori School.
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 Lowcountry Montessori School compares
Lowcountry Montessori School 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 | 17:1 | ▲ 19% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 13.9% | ▼ 81% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 408 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
408
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
13.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 81% below the South Carolina average of 74.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 84% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
6.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$22,523
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Carolina avg of $14,558
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 204 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
39
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 70.3%
African American 16.2%
Hispanic or Latino 9.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.7%
Two or More 1.5%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 70.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.1, Lowcountry Montessori School is less mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sc Public Charter School District, which includes Lowcountry Montessori School.
$22,523
Per student
+55%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
+36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 5.8%
State 80.6%
Federal 13.6%
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 Lowcountry Montessori School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| York Preparatory Academy | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Legacy Early College | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bridges Preparatory School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| High Point Academy | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Green Charter School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lowcountry Montessori School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,672
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 1,592
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,472
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,208
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 998
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Beaufort
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Bridges Preparatory School
Standard public school
1,472 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Robert Smalls International Academy
Standard public school
785 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Broad River Elementary
Standard public school
467 students 10.2:1 students per teacher
Coosa Elementary
Standard public school
467 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Joseph S. Shanklin Elementary
Standard public school
416 students 10.1:1 students per teacher
Beaufort Elementary
Standard public school
375 students 8:1 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 (~408 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lowcountry Montessori School's federal record.
- Compare Lowcountry Montessori School against another school. Compare schools
- Sc Public Charter School District'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 Lowcountry Montessori School
How many students attend Lowcountry Montessori School?
Lowcountry Montessori School has 408 students enrolled. It is a public school in Beaufort, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lowcountry Montessori School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lowcountry Montessori School is 17:1, which is 19% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lowcountry Montessori School?
13.9% of students at Lowcountry Montessori School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lowcountry Montessori School?
The largest demographic group at Lowcountry Montessori School is White at 70.3% of enrollment, in Beaufort, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lowcountry Montessori School?
Lowcountry Montessori School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Lowcountry Montessori School rank among schools in Beaufort?
By Resource Investment Index, Lowcountry Montessori School ranks #2 of 9 schools in Beaufort, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Beaufort on the city page.
Is Lowcountry Montessori School a good school?
Lowcountry Montessori School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% 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 Sc Public Charter School District?
Besides Lowcountry Montessori School, Sc Public Charter School District also operates York Preparatory Academy (1,672 students), Legacy Early College (1,592 students), and Bridges Preparatory School (1,472 students). See the Sc Public Charter School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Compare schools
Side-by-side comparison tool
Schools in South Carolina
All public schools in South Carolina
Sc Public Charter School District
All schools in this district
Schools in Beaufort
All schools in this city
School districts
Ranked by enrollment & spending
Rankings
Best schools by state & type
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.