How to Choose a Montessori School Before You Book a Tour

Cut the list before you visit anyone. Keep only the schools that will take your child at the age they’ll be on the first day, that you can reach and leave on an ordinary weekday with every child in the family, and whose hours cover your work. Rank what’s left against no more than three priorities, then book tours at the top two or three.

Will the School Take My Child at the Age They’ll Start?

Work out your child’s age on the first day of school, in months if they’re under 3. Montessori classes are grouped by age, and each school sets its own minimum and the date it measures from. AMI’s standards, for example, put the 3 to 6 class at 2.5 or 3 to 6 years and the toddler community at 12 or 15 months to 2.5 or 3 years (AMI/USA standards).

Our guide on what age your child can start Montessori covers cutoff dates and the kindergarten year.

For a public Montessori program, add the district’s rules. Age, home address and an application window can matter as much as the classroom, and Are Montessori Schools Public or Private? explains how lotteries and zones work.

Can We Make the School Run Work on an Ordinary Tuesday?

Before you fall for a classroom, walk through a normal weekday on paper with the adult who will do most of the driving.

• Who drops off, at what time, and where do they go next?
• Where are your other children at that hour? A second school or daycare can mean two drop-offs in opposite directions.
• When does class end, and when does paid care end? Hours on a website may describe the building’s longest day, aftercare included.
• Who picks up, and what happens if that person is stuck at work? Ask about the late fee.
• Which days does the school close or let out early, and who covers them?
• If a grandparent or sitter helps, which days can they cover, and for how long?
• How long is the drive at rush hour, both ways?

Families do walk away from schools they liked at this stage. In one Reddit thread, a parent who had visited a Montessori school, liked it and been offered a place decided to look closer to home after picturing the daily drive with a second child (r/Montessori).

What Matters Most to Your Family?

Pick no more than three priorities and write them down before you read school websites. Websites make most schools sound alike, and a short written list keeps the comparison honest. Common ones include

• a firm budget for the full year, care and fees included (see our guide to Montessori school costs)
• a tuition-free public program
• full-day care that fits two work schedules
• teachers trained for your child’s age level
• a program that continues into elementary or beyond
• siblings on one campus
• a second language, such as Spanish or French immersion
• support for a child with a learning difference

When a school fails one of your three, drop it, however good its reviews are. When two schools pass all three, the tour decides.

What Does a Listing on This Site Tell Me?

Each school page brings together what we could confirm from public sources. Here is how to read it.

• The Verified Montessori badge means an official record, or the school’s own website, confirms that it is a Montessori school. Schools that look like Montessori schools from their name and category, but lack that confirmation, are listed without the badge. The check matters because the name Montessori isn’t trademarked, and any school can use it (AMI/USA).
• AMS Member and AMI Member badges are taken from one federal source, the 2023-24 Private School Universe Survey. Schools fill in that survey themselves and name the associations they belong to, so the badge shows membership and says nothing about AMS accreditation or AMI recognition. Only US private schools with kindergarten or higher grades take part, which is why a public or preschool-only program never carries one. Our guides to Montessori school accreditation and AMI vs AMS show how to check further.
• Program tags such as Toddler, Preschool and Elementary come from the school’s public listing and, for US private schools, the grades it reported in the same survey. Confirm the ages before you plan around them.
• Opening hours are copied from Google, so they may be stale, and they may include before and after care. Treat them as a reason to call.
• The Google rating shows the score, the number of reviews and the date of our data, so check the date before you weigh the score.
• The Verified By line lists the sources we used for that school.

Which Schools Should Make the Tour List?

Line up the schools that passed the age check, the Tuesday test and your priorities. A missing price or unclear hours is a question for the school, not something to guess, so a short call or email to each one comes first.

• Will you have a place for a child of [age in months] starting [month and year]?
• What does a full year cost, with fees and care included?
• What time does class end, and what time does paid care end?
• Can I observe a class during the morning work period?

Note how quickly and clearly each office replies, since you would deal with it for years. Book tours at the two or three left, on weekday mornings if you can.

Take our Montessori school tour checklist with you. It covers what to watch at each age level, the questions to ask and what to get in writing before you pay a deposit.

For the first list, start from the locations page, pick your city and switch the filter to Verified Montessori if you only want confirmed schools. Each school page then shows its programs, hours and a Get Directions button.