Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School

Summary:

Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School is a public charter elementary school serving grades PK-5 in Savannah, Georgia, within the Savannah-Chatham County school district. Despite being a Montessori-based school, Coastal Empire has consistently underperformed compared to other elementary schools in the area, ranking in the bottom half of Georgia elementary schools over the past decade.

Coastal Empire Montessori's test scores on the Georgia Milestones assessments are significantly below the Savannah-Chatham County and state averages across all grade levels and subjects. For example, in 2023-2024, only 34.5% of 3rd graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 30.7% for the district and 38.4% statewide. Additionally, the school has a high percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 60.52% to 63.97% over the past few years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population. When compared to other nearby elementary schools, such as Heard Elementary School, Coastal Empire Montessori consistently underperforms on state assessments.

Despite the school's relatively high per-student spending, ranging from $10,191 to $16,829, and a student-teacher ratio of 15 to 16.5 students per teacher, Coastal Empire Montessori has struggled to achieve strong academic outcomes. This raises questions about the effective allocation and utilization of resources to support student learning, especially given the unique challenges faced by the school's high percentage of economically disadvantaged students.

Detail:

Public, Charter PK, KG-5

301 Buckhalter Rd
Savannah, GA 31405

(912) 395-4070

District: Savannah-Chatham County

SchoolDigger Rank:
985^th of 1,248 Georgia Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,191

Student/teacher ratio: 15.4

Number of students: 218

Racial breakdown:

African American:

34.4%

White:

32.1%

Hispanic:

18.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 67.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School ranks worse than 78.9% of elementary schools in Georgia. It also ranks 23^rd among 32 ranked elementary schools in the Savannah-Chatham County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 21.72. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Savannah-Chatham County School District. Student population at Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (34.4%), White (32.1%), Hispanic (18.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 67.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School is 15.4. 30 elementary schools in the Savannah-Chatham County School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School employs 14.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School is $10,191. 21 elementary schools in the Savannah-Chatham County School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Savannah-Chatham County:

SchoolDigger ranks Savannah-Chatham County 128^th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School.

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Rank History for Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	GA State Percentile
2012	31.38	940^th	1201	21.7%
2013	25.37	1007^th	1225	17.8%
2014	47.70	778^th	1231	36.8%
2015	33.28	826^th	1240	33.4%
2016	42.82	676^th	1233	45.2%
2017	34.15	790^th	1205	34.4%
2018	19.34	990^th	1209	18.1%
2019	12.12	1115^th	1234	9.6%
2021	26.91	859^th	1214	29.2%
2022	20.17	989^th	1244	20.5%
2023	17.33	1060^th	1242	14.7%
2024	21.72	985^th	1248	21.1%

See the entire list of Georgia Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Georgia Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Thursday, September 18, 2014

The statistics of this website are misleading. CEMCS may have "the highest student-to teacher ratio" of several elementary schools in Chatham County, but that's a faulty statistic. Every classroom at CEMCS has a teacher and a teacher's aide, which lowers the student-to-teacher ratio to about 10:1.

Student test scores are increasing every year for this little school, and the students who attend are lightyears ahead of their traditional school peers in social skills, conflict resolution, research, reading, writing, math... all while learning through activity--not worksheets and lecture. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2009	24	63	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	10	101
2010	56	70	0	9	1	0	3	0	139
2011	92	35	0	7	0	0	49	0	183
2012	86	60	0	10	0	0	7	0	163
2013	126	105	0	13	1	0	18	0	263
2014	114	131	2	6	1	0	20	0	274
2015	122	131	2	5	0	2	17	0	279
2016	139	139	2	10	1	2	19	0	312
2017	128	138	2	11	1	2	26	0	308
2018	119	144	2	22	1	2	27	0	317
2019	90	116	0	23	1	0	21	0	251
2020	82	114	1	25	0	1	23	0	246
2021	73	128	1	27	0	0	18	0	247
2022	85	104	2	32	0	0	20	0	243
2023	83	92	3	33	0	1	21	0	233
2024	70	75	5	40	0	2	26	0	218

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	101	6.0	16.8	46.2
2010	139	8.5	16.3	43.2
2011	183	10.5	17.4	37.2
2012	163	8.5	19.1	57.1
2013	263	8.5	30.9	39.9
2014	274	9.5	28.8	50.4
2015	279	8.0	34.8	53.8
2016	312	12.0	26.0	56.1
2017	308	13.0	23.6	49.4
2018	317	14.0	22.6	62.1
2019	251	14.6	17.1	64.5
2020	246	16.1	15.2	67.9
2021	247	15.6	15.8	64
2022	243	16.1	15.0	n/a
2023	233	14.1	16.5	60.5
2024	218	14.1	15.4	67.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	101	6.0	16.8	46.2
2010	139	8.5	16.3	43.2
2011	183	10.5	17.4	37.2
2012	163	8.5	19.1	57.1
2013	263	8.5	30.9	39.9
2014	274	9.5	28.8	50.4
2015	279	8.0	34.8	53.8
2016	312	12.0	26.0	56.1
2017	308	13.0	23.6	49.4
2018	317	14.0	22.6	62.1
2019	251	14.6	17.1	64.5
2020	246	16.1	15.2	67.9
2021	247	15.6	15.8	64
2022	243	16.1	15.0	n/a
2023	233	14.1	16.5	60.5
2024	218	14.1	15.4	67.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$195 (1.5%)	$12,971 (99.9%)	$12,984
2018	$165 (1.0%)	$16,829 (100.0%)	$16,829
2019	$518 (5.1%)	$9,673 (94.9%)	$10,191

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 1115^th of 1234 Elementary schools	Ranks 1060^th of 1242 Elementary schools	5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School)	18.6	6.7	11.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Savannah-Chatham County)	28.1	29.5	1.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	38.6	3.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School)	14	3.3	10.7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Savannah-Chatham County)	39.6	36.9	2.7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	52	45.6	6.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School)	21.2	13.6	7.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Savannah-Chatham County)	28.5	23.6	4.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	36.1	5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School)	21.2	27.3	6.1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Savannah-Chatham County)	35.2	31.8	3.4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	49	45.7	3.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School)	24.2	28.6	4.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Savannah-Chatham County)	29.8	29.2	0.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	45	41.6	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School)	9.1	17.9	8.8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Savannah-Chatham County)	27.6	25	2.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	41	37.4	3.6%
5th Grade Science (Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School)	24.2	25	0.8%
5th Grade Science (Savannah-Chatham County)	27.7	28.6	0.9%
5th Grade Science (Georgia)	43	40	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	251	233	7.2%
African American	116	92	20.7%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	0	3
Hispanic	23	33	43.5%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	90	83	7.8%
Two or More Races	21	21
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	64.5%	60.5%	4%

Schools Near Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Milestones Assessment English Language Arts (2024)			Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2024)			Milestones Assessment Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	301 Buckhalter Rd	Savannah	31405	Chatham County	Savannah-Chatham County	Yes	No	No	Yes	(912) 395-4070	218	14	15.4	67.9%	70 (32.1%)	75 (34.4%)	40 (18.3%)	5 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	26 (11.9%)	21.7	985^th of 1248 public elementary schools	21.1%		17.3	1060^th of 1242 public elementary schools	14.7%	75	34.5	17.9	27.8	24.1	14.3	22.2	22.2	$10,191	$518	$9,673
Gould Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4910 Pineland Dr	Savannah	31405	Chatham County	Savannah-Chatham County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 395-5400	887	63	14.0	85.5%	86 (9.7%)	290 (32.7%)	440 (49.6%)	13 (1.5%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (6.0%)	11.9	1158^th of 1248 public elementary schools	7.2%		17	1066^th of 1242 public elementary schools	14.2%	92	19.0	10.7	20.1	22.3	12.3	16.2	14.9	$10,525	$807	$9,718
Pulaski Elementary SChool	Public	PK, KG-5	1001 Tibet Ave	Savannah	31419	Chatham County	Savannah-Chatham County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 395-6466	576	44	13.2	64.8%	107 (18.6%)	230 (39.9%)	202 (35.1%)	6 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (5.0%)	54.3	515^th of 1248 public elementary schools	58.7%		46.9	593^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	52.3%	78	44.0	38.7	45.6	57.1	40.0	30.9	36.8	$10,149	$690	$9,459
Haven Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5111 Dillon Ave	Savannah	31405	Chatham County	Savannah-Chatham County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 395-6501	377	28	13.4	95.0%	7 (1.9%)	345 (91.5%)	16 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.4%)	9.6	1198^th of 1248 public elementary schools	4.0%		11.3	1156^th of 1242 public elementary schools	6.9%	42	15.7	13.0	18.9	9.8	24.1	7.5	7.5	$11,935	$1,166	$10,769
Largo-Tibet Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	430 Tibet Ave	Savannah	31406	Chatham County	Savannah-Chatham County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 395-3450	611	39	15.6	82.5%	49 (8.0%)	422 (69.1%)	83 (13.6%)	28 (4.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (4.6%)	14.2	1111^th of 1248 public elementary schools	11.0%		18.8	1025^th of 1242 public elementary schools	17.5%	86	15.5	19.8	26.5	22.3	22.8	7.2	14.5	$10,116	$792	$9,324
Hodge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	975 Clinch Street	Savannah	31405	Chatham County	Savannah-Chatham County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 395-5200	388	31	12.5	93.8%	10 (2.6%)	345 (88.9%)	18 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.9%)	36.7	745^th of 1248 public elementary schools	40.3%		34.4	775^th of 1242 public elementary schools	37.6%	30	20.0	30.9	36.7	26.7	50.9	21.7	41.7	$11,070	$1,721	$9,349
Butler Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1909 Cynthia St	Savannah	31415	Chatham County	Savannah-Chatham County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 395-2525	466	36	12.9	93.8%	2 (0.4%)	410 (88.0%)	29 (6.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (4.9%)	26.1	913^th of 1248 public elementary schools	26.8%		20.7	993^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	20.0%	80	22.7	32.4	27.7	24.2	44.1	18.5	15.6	$11,830	$1,703	$10,128
White Bluff Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	9402 White Bluff Road	Savannah	31406	Chatham County	Savannah-Chatham County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 395-3325	660	43	15.3	85.2%	55 (8.3%)	455 (68.9%)	88 (13.3%)	17 (2.6%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	41 (6.2%)	15.5	1093^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	12.4%		16.4	1076^th of 1242 public elementary schools	13.4%	17	20.9	19.6	23.8	24.2	25.0	12.5	14.4	$10,809	$1,353	$9,456
Garden City Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4037 Kessler Ave	Garden City	31408	Chatham County	Savannah-Chatham County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 395-6820	580	44	13.1	85.7%	31 (5.3%)	196 (33.8%)	324 (55.9%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.1%)	25.8	919^th of 1248 public elementary schools	26.4%		33	794^th of 1242 public elementary schools	36.1%	125	22.8	15.0	29.5	28.3	28.0	32.6	33.7	$12,491	$899	$11,591
Windsor Forest Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	414 Briarcliff Cir	Savannah	31419	Chatham County	Savannah-Chatham County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 395-3353	451	50	9.0	81.6%	79 (17.5%)	242 (53.7%)	69 (15.3%)	15 (3.3%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (2.2%)	35 (7.8%)	24.9	929^th of 1248 public elementary schools	25.6%		26.3	893^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	28.1%	36	25.8	26.7	25.4	30.6	36.0	18.3	22.5	$12,689	$1,527	$11,161

Frequently Asked Questions about Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School

What is the racial makeup of Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School?

Students at Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School are 34% African American, 32% White, 18% Hispanic, 12% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 218 students attended Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School.

Is Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School a good school?

Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School ranks in the bottom 21.1% of Georgia elementary schools.

What district is Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School in?

Savannah-Chatham County

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Georgia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.