Enrollment
654
Ohio · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Cincinnati, OH
Sands Montessori School
Federal NCES profile for Sands Montessori School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 390437500372
👥 S:T ratio 13
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sands Montessori School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Ohio schools.
- #16 of 87
- schools in Cincinnati · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.8:1
- large classes for Ohio
- 15.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Sands Montessori School has class sizes larger than 85% of Ohio schools. Computed live against every Ohio school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sands Montessori School ranks #16 of 87 schools in Cincinnati, OH.
School address
District: Cincinnati Public Schools · Ohio
NCES ID 390437500372 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.8:1
vs 18.2:1 Ohio avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.2%
vs 31.6% Ohio avg
-52% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sands Montessori School compares with Ohio and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sands Montessori School
Sands Montessori School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Cincinnati, Ohio, enrolling 654 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 21.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Ohio schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 15.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 654 puts it in the larger third of Ohio schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,574 scored Ohio schools.
Against 593 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #408.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and African American (16%) (diversity index 51/100).
12.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Cincinnati Public Schools spends $18,181 per pupil, 24% above the Ohio average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 21.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Cincinnati's public schools, it stands alongside Walnut Hills High School (2,453 students): Sands Montessori School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21.8:1 vs 18:1).
Cincinnati Public Schools also operates Walnut Hills High School (2,453 students) and Western Hills University High School (1,342 students) alongside Sands 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 Sands Montessori School compares
Sands Montessori School on the metrics families compare, against Ohio and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Ohio | Ohio avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.8:1 | ▲ 20% | 18.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.2% | ▼ 52% | 31.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 654 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.8:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
654
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 52% below the Ohio average of 31.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
21.8:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 85% in Ohio - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
12.8%
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
$18,181
per pupil, district-wide
- above Ohio avg of $14,655
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
48
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.3 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 66.8%
African American 15.7%
Two or More 13.9%
Asian 2.1%
Hispanic or Latino 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 66.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.9, Sands Montessori School is more mixed than the Ohio school average of 35.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cincinnati Public Schools, which includes Sands Montessori School.
$18,181
Per student
+24%
vs Ohio
Avg $14,655
+10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 53.6%
State 24.6%
Federal 21.8%
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 Sands Montessori School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walnut Hills High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Western Hills University High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| School for Creative and Performing Arts | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Withrow University High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Aiken New Tech High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sands Montessori School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,453
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,342
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,300
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,300
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,226
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
Similar other schools in Cincinnati
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Walnut Hills High School
Standard public school
2,453 students 18:1 students per teacher
Sycamore High School
Standard public school
1,678 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Western Hills University High School
Standard public school
1,342 students 21:1 students per teacher
Princeton Community Middle School
Standard public school
1,332 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
School for Creative and Performing Arts
Standard public school
1,300 students 16:1 students per teacher
Withrow University High School
Standard public school
1,300 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Ohio, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~654 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sands Montessori School's federal record.
- Compare Sands Montessori School against another school. Compare schools
- Cincinnati Public Schools'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 Sands Montessori School
How many students attend Sands Montessori School?
Sands Montessori School has 654 students enrolled. It is a public school in Cincinnati, OH.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sands Montessori School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sands Montessori School is 21.8:1, which is 20% higher than the Ohio average of 18.2:1 and 39% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sands Montessori School?
15.2% of students at Sands Montessori School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Ohio average of 31.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sands Montessori School?
The largest demographic group at Sands Montessori School is White at 66.8% of enrollment, in Cincinnati, OH. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sands Montessori School?
Sands Montessori School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Sands Montessori School rank among schools in Cincinnati?
By Resource Investment Index, Sands Montessori School ranks #16 of 87 schools in Cincinnati, OH. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Cincinnati on the city page.
Is Sands Montessori School a good school?
Sands Montessori School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Ohio 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 Cincinnati Public Schools?
Besides Sands Montessori School, Cincinnati Public Schools also operates Walnut Hills High School (2,453 students), Western Hills University High School (1,342 students), and School for Creative and Performing Arts (1,300 students). See the Cincinnati Public Schools 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.