Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School, 301 Buckhalter Road: a free public charter, pre-K to 5, 210 students in 2025, CCRPI 64.3.
Last checked Oct. 6, 2026. Sources: the Coastal Empire Montessori website, its admissions page, the district’s charter schools page, the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System’s map of schools, bell times and 2026-27 calendar, the district’s Find My School lookup, the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement’s 2025 School Grades data and the federal NCES school directory.
Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School is a tuition-free public charter school authorized by the Savannah-Chatham County Board of Public Education, on Buckhalter Road on the south side. Its admissions page says it serves kindergarten through fifth grade with an integrated Georgia Pre-K4 program, and calls itself the first and long-time only Montessori charter school in Georgia. It has a Savannah mailing address, but the Census Bureau’s geocoder places it in unincorporated Chatham County.
- Address: 301 Buckhalter Road, Savannah, GA 31405
- Phone: 912-395-4070
- Grades: Pre-K to 5
- Website: cemco.org
Who to call
- Coastal Empire Montessori front office: 912-395-4070
- Charter schools in the district: the district’s charter school liaison, 912-395-5582
- Apply: the school’s online application; tours by phone, 912-395-4070
- Transportation: the district’s bell schedule lists no bus times for charter schools; ask the school
- District main line: 912-395-5600
- Questions about admission: the school, 912-395-4070
Enrollment and teachers
The state counted 210 students at Coastal Empire Montessori in its 2025 School Grades data. The most recent federal figure, from the NCES directory for the 2023-24 school year, is 218 students and 14 full-time-equivalent teachers, about 15.6 students per teacher.
State report card
Coastal Empire Montessori’s 2025 CCRPI single score was 64.3, according to the state’s School Grades data. The Georgia average for elementary schools was 78.6 and the district’s was 72.2. It was 51.7 in 2023 and 68.2 in 2024. The full report card, with subgroups and the parts of the score, is on the state’s Coastal Empire Montessori report card.
CCRPI is the Georgia Department of Education’s “comprehensive school improvement, accountability, and communication platform,” according to GaDOE. The single score runs from 0 to 100 and is built from content mastery, progress, closing gaps and readiness, plus graduation rate for high schools. Georgia does not publish an A-to-F letter grade for schools in its 2025 data.
Georgia Milestones end-of-grade tests in grades three to five, 2025, share of tested students scoring at the Proficient and Distinguished levels:
| Subject | Proficient | Distinguished |
|---|---|---|
| English language arts | 16.7% | 1.3% |
| Math | 11.5% | 2.6% |
| Science (fifth grade) | 11.5% | 0% |
Admission
Coastal Empire Montessori admits students by a random-draw lottery. Its admissions page says the 2026-27 lottery was held April 7, 2026, that waitlists were set by grade, and that the application stays open because seats can open during the spring and summer; families on a waitlist are contacted when a seat comes up. Tours can be booked by calling the school.
The district’s charter schools page says each charter school defines its attendance area in its charter contract and must first offer seats to students who live there; leftover seats can go to students anywhere in the district. If more students apply than there are seats, the school must hold a public, random lottery.
Calendar
The school posts its own calendar on its website. For reference, the district’s 2026-27 calendar, approved May 7, 2025, has these dates:
- Thursday, Oct. 8: staff planning day, no school for students
- Friday, Oct. 9: fall holiday
- Monday, Oct. 12: Columbus Day, no school
- Tuesday, Nov. 3: remote-learning half-day; students learn from home
- Wednesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day, no school
- Nov. 23-27: Thanksgiving break
- Dec. 21-31: winter break; Monday, Jan. 4, 2027, is a staff planning day with no school for students
- March 26 to April 2, 2027: spring break
- Friday, May 21, 2027: last day of school
Bell times
Classes run 8:20 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., according to the district’s 2026-27 bell times, approved by the Board of Public Education on April 8, 2026.
More
- The school’s website
- The district’s map of schools, with every Savannah-Chatham County Public School System school
- The state’s report card for Coastal Empire Montessori
- Every public school that serves Savannah, with zones and scores: our Savannah public schools guide
- District calendar, registration, graduation rates and the school board: our Savannah schools guide
Frequently asked questions
Is Coastal Empire Montessori a public school?
Yes. It is a tuition-free public charter school authorized by the Savannah-Chatham County Board of Public Education.
How do you get into Coastal Empire Montessori?
Apply online. Seats are filled by a random-draw lottery; the 2026-27 lottery was held April 7, 2026, and the application stays open for waitlist seats.
What is Coastal Empire Montessori’s CCRPI score?
64.3 in 2025, according to the state’s School Grades data, against a Georgia elementary school average of 78.6. It was 68.2 in 2024.
What time does Coastal Empire Montessori start?
Classes run 8:20 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., according to the district’s 2026-27 bell times.
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