Enrollment
392
Elementary
DISTRICT 528 · STATE 526
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·CHARLESTON 01·NCES 450144000228
James Simons Montessori
741 King Street, Charleston, SC 29403 · (843) 724-7763 · Charleston County
GRADES PK–08ELEMENTARY12-CITYREGULAR SCHOOL392 STUDENTS
B
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 64% of South Carolina public elementary schools
- BTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- ·Beats expectations Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded South Carolina public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
14.2:1
28 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.9:1 · STATE 13.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
,
Title I proxy
DISTRICT 100% · STATE 77%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 93 | 24% |
| Kindergarten | 46 | 12% |
| Grade 1 | 47 | 12% |
| Grade 2 | 39 | 10% |
| Grade 3 | 40 | 10% |
| Grade 4 | 30 | 8% |
| Grade 5 | 40 | 10% |
| Grade 6 | 20 | 5% |
| Grade 7 | 15 | 4% |
| Grade 8 | 22 | 6% |
This year's kindergarten class (46) is 109% larger than its 8th grade class (22).
Student demographics
60%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 65% · STATE 67% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
SC READY 2024-25 . % Meets or Exceeds ExpectationsEnglish Language Arts
72.7%
SC avg 59.7% . -0.4pp since 2023
Math
44.5%
SC avg 44.2% . -6.3pp since 2023
What this means: On the SC READY, South Carolina's statewide test, about 73 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 45 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all South Carolina schools, those numbers are about 60 and 44. Reading and writing scores have held steady since 2023, while math scores are down about 6 points.
SC READY results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 72.7% | 44.5% |
| 2023-24 | 73.1% | 50.8% |
% Meets or Exceeds Expectations, all students and all tested grades.
Source: SC READY. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Where James Simons Montessori ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In South Carolina | In Charleston County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 44.5% | #378 of 635 ▼ 96 | #26 of 49 ▼ 3 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 72.7% | #148 of 635 ▼ 73 | #19 of 49 ▼ 2 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 392 | #495 of 709 | #35 of 57 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 14.2:1 | #416 of 656 | #27 of 47 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 59.6% | #299 of 656 | #11 of 47 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -2.2% | #363 of 395 | #21 of 26 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
392
0 (0%) vs 2020
-50% since 1990-91, when it was 782
Student : Teacher
14.2:1
was 15.1:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 392 | 27.6 | 14.2:1 | N/A |
| 2023-24 | 371 | 24.6 | 15.1:1 | 100% (371) |
| 2022-23 | 360 | 25.6 | 14.1:1 | 100% (360) |
| 2020-21 | 392 | 26 | 15.1:1 | 100% (392) |
| 2017-18 | 401 | 23.3 | 17.2:1 | 100% (401) |
| 2015-16 | 347 | 24 | 14.5:1 | 64% (223) |
| 2010-11 | 220 | 25 | 8.8:1 | 85% (188) |
| 2000-01 | 497 | 34 | 14.6:1 | 91% (451) |
| 1990-91 | 782 | 39 | 20.1:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for James Simons Montessori.
Since 2017-18: students down 2% (401 to 392); teachers up 18% (23.3 to 27.6).
About James Simons Montessori
Among the schools in Charleston, South Carolina, is James Simons Montessori, a small elementary school. Students in pre-K through 8 attend the school, which enrolls 392 students. The average among elementary schools in South Carolina is roughly 526 students; this school is 25% smaller than that.
Charleston 01 (81 schools, 52,009 students) runs James Simons Montessori.
By race and ethnicity, James Simons Montessori is 56% White. Other reported shares: 28% Black, 9% Hispanic, and 6% multiracial. That compares with about 66% White among all Charleston County residents. James Simons Montessori has a diversity index of 60%, compared with 70% for all US public school students.
Federal data list 27.6 full-time-equivalent teachers at James Simons Montessori in 2024-25, for a ratio of 14.2:1. The average ratio among elementary schools in South Carolina is 13.3:1, lower than at this school.
Measured against South Carolina public elementary schools, James Simons Montessori receives a B. The grade weighs proficiency most heavily, then how results compare with what the school's low-income share predicts, then the three-year change.
James Simons Montessori is located in Charleston County, where median household income is about $88,494, about 50% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and roughly 7% of residents are in poverty. James Simons Montessori is one of 98 public schools in Charleston County, which together enroll about 55,933 students.
Nearest public school: Charleston Charter School for Math and Science, about 0.1 miles away. Other public schools within five miles: at least 8.
The federal government classifies James Simons Montessori's location as City: Mid-size.
The school's size has been steady, with 392 students in 2020-21 and 392 in 2024-25.
If you have questions about science fairs, picture day, and bus routes at James Simons Montessori, you can post them here. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
Charleston County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
420,264
Census ACS
Median income
$88,494
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
50%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
98
55,933 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Charleston 01
- Wando HighHigh · 2,588 students
- R. B. Stall HighHigh · 2,135 students
- West Ashley HighHigh · 2,069 students
- Lucy Garrett Beckham HighHigh · 1,757 students
- James Island Charter HighHigh · 1,612 students
- C. E. Williams Middle School for Creative and Scientific ArtMiddle · 1,299 students
Other schools in Charleston
- West Ashley HighHigh · 2,069 students
- James Island Charter HighHigh · 1,612 students
- C. E. Williams Middle School for Creative and Scientific ArtMiddle · 1,299 students
- Orange Grove Charter SchoolElementary · 1,170 students
- Daniel Island SchoolElementary · 1,151 students
- Camp Road MiddleMiddle · 901 students
Nearby schools
- Charleston Charter School for Math and Science0.1 mi · 573
- Mitchell Elementary0.4 mi · 188
- Simmons Pinckney Middle0.5 mi · 190
- Burke High0.6 mi · 342
- Sanders-Clyde Elementary0.7 mi · 369
- Charleston Development Academy0.8 mi · 151
Frequently asked questions
About James Simons MontessoriHow large is James Simons Montessori?
James Simons Montessori enrolls approximately 392 students in grades PK-08.
Is James Simons Montessori an elementary, middle, or high school?
James Simons Montessori is an elementary school covering grades PK-08.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James Simons Montessori?
The student-to-teacher ratio at James Simons Montessori is approximately 14.2:1 (28 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at James Simons Montessori?
At James Simons Montessori, the student body is approximately 56% White, 9% Hispanic, 28% Black, 1% Asian, 6% Two or more.
Is James Simons Montessori public or private?
James Simons Montessori is a public K-12 school, overseen by Charleston 01.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.