Island Montessori Charter School, 6339 Carolina Beach Road: a K-8 public Montessori charter school by lottery, 220 students, a D (50) in 2025-26.
Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Sources: Island Montessori, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s 2025-26 accountability data and the federal NCES school directory.
Island Montessori Charter School is a tuition-free public charter school for kindergarten through eighth grade on Carolina Beach Road, south of Wilmington. It has a Wilmington mailing address, but sits outside the city limits in unincorporated New Hanover County, in the Census Bureau’s Myrtle Grove area. According to its website, it teaches through the Montessori approach. The same organization runs a private, tuition-funded preschool for ages 3 to 5. Charter schools are run by their own boards, not by New Hanover County Schools, so there is no attendance zone.
Who to call
- Charter K-8 office: 910-795-4860, 6339 Carolina Beach Road, Wilmington, NC 28412
- School website: im.school
- Admissions: the school’s admissions and lottery page
| Address | 6339 Carolina Beach Road, Wilmington, NC 28412 |
| Phone | 910-795-4860 |
| Grades | Kindergarten to 8 |
| Type | Public charter school |
| Admission | Lottery when oversubscribed |
Enrollment and teachers
- Federal count: 220 students in the 2024-25 school year, with 19 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 12 students per teacher. The 2023-24 count was 214.
How admission works
According to the school’s admissions page, enrollment is open to North Carolina residents and admission is decided by lottery when applications exceed the seats available. Once admitted, students are guaranteed enrollment through eighth grade. The page lists a Feb. 12 application deadline at 4 p.m. and a Feb. 24 lottery at 5 p.m. at the school, says applications open in 2027, and says families learn their lottery results by phone.
State report card
North Carolina grades every public school, charters included, from A to F. According to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s technical guide, 80% of the grade comes from an achievement score and 20% from students’ academic growth, on a 15-point scale.
| School year | Grade | Score | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | D | 50 | Not met |
| 2024-25 | C | 60 | Met |
| 2023-24 | D | 53 | Not met |
Island Montessori is on the state’s 2025-26 low-performing schools list, and on its list of continually low-performing charter schools, low-performing in 2023-24 and 2025-26.
From the state’s 2025-26 school assessment and indicator data:
- 47.1% of state tests taken at the school were at grade level or above, against 59.2% statewide.
- Reading, grades 3 to 8: 52.5% at grade level. Math: 39%.
The grades come from the state’s School Performance Grades dashboard data. The state’s interactive school report card covers 2024-25.
Calendar
For school-year dates and breaks, see the school’s website.
More on Wilmington schools
- Every public school in Wilmington, including the other charter schools
- Our Wilmington schools guide for district enrollment and board meetings
Frequently asked questions
How do students get into Island Montessori Charter School?
By lottery if applications exceed available seats. The school is tuition-free and open to North Carolina residents, and once admitted, students are guaranteed a place through eighth grade, according to its admissions page.
What grades does Island Montessori Charter School serve?
Kindergarten through eighth grade in the public charter school, with 220 students in the federal 2024-25 count. Its preschool is private and charges tuition.
What is Island Montessori’s school performance grade?
Island Montessori earned a D, with a score of 50, in North Carolina’s 2025-26 school performance grades, down from a C (60), and is on the state’s low-performing list.
Have your say