Lowcountry Montessori School, Beaufort SC

Original Research by School Decision on Lowcountry Montessori School

Lowcountry Montessori School is a public charter school serving pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade in Beaufort, South Carolina. It operates under the SC Public Charter School District, a statewide authorizer rather than a traditional geographic district, which means it draws families from across the region and is not tied to a single attendance zone. The school’s enrollment is small for a PK–12 campus, and its student body is predominantly white, with Black and Hispanic students together making up a modest share. The share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch is relatively low, reflecting a community with above-average household resources.

Academically, the school shows a split profile. In English language arts, proficiency rates in the tested elementary and middle grades are strong in several grades, with a majority of students meeting state standards in third, fourth, fifth, and eighth grades. The sixth-grade result is softer. Mathematics tells a different story: proficiency is low across multiple grade levels, with no tested grade reaching even a third of students at the state standard, and some grades falling well below that. Science scores, available for fourth and sixth grades, are also low. The available state tests cover grades three through eight; the school serves high school grades, but those are not captured in this assessment data. A prior year’s social studies results, from a different test and set of standards, are too old to be a reliable gauge of current performance. A family considering the school will likely want to understand how the school addresses math and science instruction, particularly given the gap between those subjects and reading.

The school follows the Montessori method, a pedagogy that emphasizes self-directed learning, mixed-age classrooms, and hands-on materials. This is a distinct approach from most traditional public schools in the area, and it will appeal to families who value that philosophy. Because the school is a charter, it has some operational flexibility but also requires families to choose it rather than being assigned.

Beaufort itself is a historic coastal city on Port Royal Island, with a tourism-driven economy and a major military presence at nearby Parris Island and Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. The downtown historic district, with its antebellum architecture and moss-draped live oaks, is a draw for visitors and residents alike. The largest medical facility between Charleston and Savannah, a regional hospital, is also a major employer. Housing values in the area are above the national median, and the market has seen modest appreciation. The broader county has a mix of suburban development, military infrastructure, and preserved natural areas. The school sits on a main road in Beaufort, within a reasonable commute of the historic core and outlying residential neighborhoods.

The SC Public Charter School District, as a statewide authorizer, does not have local school board elections or district-level curriculum decisions in the way a traditional county district does. No recent changes in policy, funding, or programming were reported for the district during the research period, so the school’s direction is largely determined by its own leadership and charter terms.

Lowcountry Montessori School fits a family seeking a Montessori education that extends from early childhood through high school, who is comfortable with a small school environment and a student body that is less economically diverse than the county average. The reading results are a clear strength, while math and science scores are areas the school will need to explain to prospective families. The broader Beaufort context offers a stable, amenity-rich community with historic character and a military-tourism economic base.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

60-79%Cohort of 16 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

241 schools plotted. 4 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 322%

School 22% · District 50% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 30 pts below county median

Grade 48%

School 8% · District 44% · ▼ 36 pts below district

▼ 43 pts below state median · ▼ 44 pts below county median

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 36% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 617%

School 17% · District 35% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 88%

School 8% · District 24% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 379%

School 79% · District 59% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Grade 456%

School 56% · District 60% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 576%

School 76% · District 58% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 638%

School 38% · District 62% · ▼ 25 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 864%

School 64% · District 59% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Science

Grade 420%

School 20% · District 43% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Grade 68%

School 8% · District 50% · ▼ 41 pts below district

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 33 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 550%

School 50% · District 66% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 738%

School 38% · District 65% · ▼ 27 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

This schoolSC Public Charter School District, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.