Deadline for K-8th graders applying for the 2024-2025 school year: March 1st.

Community Montessori School is one of the few Montessori schools that offer the full range of Montessori education, with levels from the Toddler Community through the Adolescent Program. It is our school’s mission to provide families with a comprehensive Montessori education through adolescence (9th grade). We keep this mission foremost in mind when placing new children.

We are always thrilled to talk to families about Community Montessori School. You’ll find our Admissions Office is friendly, available, and knows the answer to just about any question you can dream up. Please review our Admissions process and set up your tour today!

For our Toddler & Primary students, we offer rolling admissions, and applications are considered throughout the school year. Please review our Admissions process and set up your tour today!

Admissions Process

1. COME FOR A TOUR.

A Montessori environment, whether indoor or outdoor, is a unique educational experience that can be truly appreciated by seeing it action. Join us for the opportunity to visit the classrooms, explore outdoor learning spaces, and observe teachers and students working in the classrooms. To schedule a tour, please complete an inquiry HERE

or call our Admissions Office directly at (813) 886-2050. A member of the Admissions Office will follow up with you. Initial school tours are for adults only and are the first step of the Admission Process.

2. STUDENT VISIT. 

After your tour, the Admissions Office will be in touch to schedule a student visit. These visits vary in length according to the program to which your child is applying.

Toddler Program Visit– A 15-20 minute visit where parents are welcome to accompany their children into the classroom.

Primary Program Visit– A 30-45 minute visit when the child will be invited into a classroom to spend time working with one of our Primary Teachers. Parents will remain in the Office during the visit.

Elementary & Adolescent Visit– This is a two-day Classroom Visit. Day 1 Classroom Visit begins at 9:30 AM and ends at 11:30 AM and Day 2 Classroom Visit begins at 9:30 AM and ends at 3:00 AM. A signed and notarized Emergency Medical Release Form must be on file for your child’s visit. Download that form HERE.

3. RELEASE OF STUDENT RECORDS. 

If your child is currently attending another school, please request that his or her transcripts and a teacher recommendation be sent from your child’s current school to CMS. Applicants to our Kindergarten through Adolescent Program are required to have this information submitted to CMS in order for the application to be complete. Please submit this Confidential Teacher Recommendation Form and School Records Release to your child’s current school.

4. APPLY. 

We are currently accepting applications for the 2023-2024 school year. Completed Applications can be submitted at either Office or emailed to the Admissions Office at admissions@communitymontessori.org. Download the Application here. 

For Kindergarten, Elementary & Middle School Students:
Deadline for K-8th graders applying for the 2023-2024 school year: March 1st.

The Application process consists of the following steps:

• Attending a Campus Tour

• Completing a 2-day Classroom Visit

• Submitting the Application for Enrollment and the $75 Application Fee

• Confidential Teacher Recommendation Form from the current teacher

• All School Records are released to CMS, including reports, evaluations, educational testing scores, and screenings

• Meeting with the Head of the School

Once the Tour and Classroom Visits are completed, an application may be submitted with a $75 non-refundable application fee. Applications must be received by March 1st for consideration. Open spots are typically identified in February after current families have re-enrolled for the next school year. The number of spots available for new students varies each year by grade level based on attrition. The school will contact you to move forward with the admissions process if an applicable spot is currently available. Otherwise, your application will remain in our wait pool.

Children who do not have prior Montessori experience applying to Elementary and Adolescent programs must have an inherent love to learn and a proven ability to work and learn independently. Successful applicants can easily work well with other students and self-manage a high level of responsibility and freedom in the classroom. Since a complete Montessori education is built on a series of three-year cycles from preschool through adolescence, admission to our Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary & Middle School programs without prior Montessori experience is something to which we give careful consideration.

Procedure:
Applying to CMS takes time and some advanced planning. For parents of Kindergarten through 8th grade students we recommend that you begin the process a year in advance. Families relocating from out-of-town need to be prepared to make multiple in-person visits to the school in order to successfully complete the Admissions Process. We look forward to showing you our campus, sharing information, and getting to know you better during the application process.

Wait pool:
If you have completed the Admissions Process and CMS has accepted your child, and there is not an immediate opening for a new student (or if a young child is not quite ready to start school) then his/her name is added to our wait pool. Our classrooms are balanced by gender and age. Student selection includes many factors. Priority is given to siblings of children already enrolled, staff children, and then to transferring children with prior Montessori experience from a recognized school. Sibling candidates are evaluated according to the same criteria as all other applicants and must follow the steps in the admissions process. CMS does not offer sibling discounts. If we are unable to place your child, we will contact you, asking if you would like to remain in the waiting pool or withdraw. It is possible that your child may be accepted later in the spring or even over the summer if a place becomes available.

Decision Process:
The Head of School, teachers and Director of Admissions will confer to determine the appropriateness of enrollment based on the child’s readiness, the potential for a positive experience at our school and the family’s commitment to the program. All decisions will be communicated in writing by the Admissions office.

Community Montessori School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. CMS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies and admissions policies.