Over at 301 Buckhalter Road in Savannah, Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School gives local families a totally different kind of public option. Currently, they have 218 kids enrolled across their classes, which run from prekindergarten all the way up through the fifth grade. Daily learning is organized around an intimate 15:1 student-to-teacher ratio. The student body splits right down the middle, with a gender ratio of 50% boys and 50% girls making up the classrooms. Recent testing reviews report that roughly 17% of these students reach proficiency targets for math, and about 22% manage to pass their reading exams. Instead of listening to typical daily lectures, children work with hands-on, tactile objects to develop independent thinking at their own individual pace. The program runs under a public charter framework, meaning it brings in students from all over the county using an annual lottery application process. Properties sitting directly around this neighborhood area carry an average real estate valuation of $296,300, which keeps pace with the expanding local market trends. When looking into different regional options, plenty of Savannah families review this specific profile to see how the school compares against the best elementary school in Georgia.