Enrollment
280
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Charleston, SC
Montessori Community School
Federal NCES profile for Montessori Community School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450144001610
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 77
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Montessori Community School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of South Carolina schools.
- #4 of 21
- schools in Charleston · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.5:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 23.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Montessori Community School has class sizes larger than 80% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Montessori Community School ranks #4 of 21 schools in Charleston, SC.
School address
District: Charleston 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450144001610 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.5:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.1%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Montessori Community School compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Montessori Community School
Montessori Community School is a small combined-grade school in Charleston, South Carolina, enrolling 280 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.5:1 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 23.1% free-meal eligibility runs 69% below the South Carolina average.
Enrollment of 280 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 17 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #4.
Its student body is predominantly White (80% of enrollment) (diversity index 34/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 280 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Charleston's public schools, it stands alongside Orange Grove Charter School (1,170 students): Montessori Community School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.5:1 vs 15.8:1).
Charleston 01 also operates Wando High (2,588 students) and Rb Stall High (2,135 students) alongside Montessori Community 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 Montessori Community School compares
Montessori Community 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 | 16.5:1 | ▲ 15% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.1% | ▼ 69% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 280 | top 85% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.5:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
280
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 69% 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
16.5:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 80% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
9.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
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 280 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 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 80.4%
Two or More 7.9%
African American 6.4%
Hispanic or Latino 2.5%
Asian 1.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.1%
Largest group: White at 80.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.2, Montessori Community School is less 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 Montessori Community School.
$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 Montessori Community School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wando High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rb Stall High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Ashley High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lucy Garrett Beckham High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| James Island Charter High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Montessori Community School'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 (~280 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Montessori Community School's federal record.
- Compare Montessori Community School 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 Montessori Community School
How many students attend Montessori Community School?
Montessori Community School has 280 students enrolled. It is a public school in Charleston, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Montessori Community School?
The student-teacher ratio at Montessori Community School is 16.5:1, which is 15% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 5% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Montessori Community School?
23.1% of students at Montessori Community School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Montessori Community School?
The largest demographic group at Montessori Community School is White at 80.4% of enrollment, in Charleston, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Montessori Community School?
Montessori Community School has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (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 Montessori Community School rank among schools in Charleston?
By Resource Investment Index, Montessori Community School ranks #4 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 Montessori Community School a good school?
Montessori Community School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% 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 Montessori Community School, 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.