Admissions
Joining our community.
Four unhurried steps from your first visit to your child's first day, with rolling admissions all year.
Now enrolling for the 2026-27 school year, Toddler through Elementary, ages 18 months to 12 years.
Schedule a VisitHow admissions works
Four steps, no mystery.
You are choosing the people who will spend more waking hours with your child than almost anyone but you. So our process shows you everything before it asks you for anything.
Admissions are rolling. Families join us in September, and families join us in February. Mid-year starts work in a Montessori classroom because a child enters an ongoing community, not a lockstep curriculum, and we welcome new children whenever space in the right classroom allows. If you are not sure which of our five programs fits your child, start with a visit, and we will help you sort it out.
Step 1
Schedule a visit.
Every enrollment here has started the same way since 1997: with a parent standing in a classroom during the morning work cycle, watching. Your visit takes about 45 minutes. You will see children choose their own work and hold their concentration, meet the guides who would know your child by name, and get plain answers on ratios, schedules, and fit. Bring your child; this is their school too, and toddlers are welcome. We host visits on school mornings throughout the year.
Step 2
Complete a short application.
When you are ready, submit our application. It is short. We ask about your child's age, any previous school or care settings, and what you are hoping to find, because honest expectations on both sides make good placements. A modest application fee accompanies the forms. Applying does not commit you to enroll; it holds your child's place in line while we complete the next step.
Most families apply within a week of touring, but there is no clock. If you have not visited yet, schedule your visit first; we ask every applying family to see a classroom in session before paperwork.
Step 3
A classroom observation, for your child.
Before we offer a place, your child spends part of a morning in the classroom they would join. A guide observes quietly: how they settle, what draws their attention, and how they respond to the room. There is nothing to prepare and no way to fail. The observation tells us which classroom community will receive your child best, and it gives your child a real memory of the school before the first day, which makes that first day easier.
We arrange the observation with you directly after we receive your application. While you wait, you are welcome to visit again; plenty of parents do.
Step 4
Enrollment and welcome.
We confirm your child's place in writing, you return the enrollment agreement, and we set a start date that works for your family. New families receive a welcome packet covering daily rhythms, drop-off, lunches, and what to expect in the first weeks. Our youngest children begin with a gentle phase-in of shorter days. By the first drop-off, your child's guide already knows their name and what caught their interest during the observation.
From there, yours is one of roughly 130 families who are known here, not managed. Still at the beginning? The path starts in one place: schedule a visit.
Tuition
Priced by program, explained in person.
We do not publish a single tuition number because there is not one. Tuition varies by program (Toddler, Early Childhood, Kindergarten, Elementary, and Enrichment) and by schedule, from half-day options to a full day that runs 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. At your visit we will hand you the current tuition band for your child's level in writing, along with enrichment and summer pricing, so you can compare calmly at home.
Many families apply dependent-care FSA funds toward tuition for younger children. Your plan administrator can confirm what your specific plan covers.
Common questions
Asked at almost every visit.
Do you have a waitlist?
Sometimes, at some levels. Toddler and Early Childhood classrooms fill first. When a level is full we keep a dated waitlist and offer places in order as they open. Because admissions are rolling, spaces open during the year as families relocate, so it is always worth asking about your child's level.
Do siblings get priority?
Yes. Siblings of currently enrolled students receive first consideration when a place opens at their level. Tell us early if a younger sibling is on the way, since we plan Toddler places further ahead than any other level.
What age can we apply?
Children may start our Toddler program at 18 months, and we enroll students through age 12. There is no application deadline. Apply whenever your family is ready, and we will place your child when the right space is available, including mid-year.
Have a question we have not covered? Read the full FAQ, or bring it to your visit; nothing beats asking in the room.