James Simons Montessori

James Simons Montessori, a compact elementary-level community in Charleston, South Carolina, one of the schools within Charleston 01, caters to 392 students, covering grades pre-K through 8. That puts it 25% leaner than the typical public school in South Carolina, which averages around 526 students.

James Simons Montessori is one of 81 schools operated by Charleston 01, a district that hosts 52,009 students overall.

Demographically, James Simons Montessori reports that 56% of the student body identifies as White; the rest comes out to 28% Black, 9% Hispanic, 6% multiracial. By comparison, Charleston County as a whole is about 66% White, so the school skews noticeably less White than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 28 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 14.2:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 13.3:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical.

In the broader community, Charleston County reports that median household earnings sit near $88,494, 50% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Charleston County's 98 public schools (combined enrollment of about 55,933 students), James Simons Montessori is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Charleston Charter School for Math and Science, roughly 0.1 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

The campus sits in an urban setting.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at James Simons Montessori has stayed largely flat, going from 401 students in 2018 to 392 in 2025. Black enrollment moved from 57% to 28% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 17.2:1 in 2018 to 14.2:1 today.

On allk12, posts here usually surface around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.