FAQ

List of 12 frequently asked questions.

• Do you have a waiting list?

  At this time, we do have a waitlist for the 2020-2021 school year for all levels. 
  
  For our Youngest Children's Community, the majority of spaces will be offered to children in the 16-19 month range when the place is available.  
  
  For our Children's House level, the majority of places are offered to children in the 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 year range when the anticipated place will be available.  We rarely have places for children beyond 3 1/2 years.  If we do have an opening for a 4 or 5-year-old, it would first be offered to a child from the waitlist with previous Montessori experience.
  
  For Elementary and Adolescent Community placement, any available spaces will first be offered to children from the waitlist who have previous Montessori experience.

• How do I place my child on the waiting list?

  Please contact our Admissions Office before submitting an application for information regarding availability. Your child will be placed in our active waiting pool once we receive an admissions application with the application fee. You will be notified by email or phone if we are able to place your child.

• May I come and visit?

  We welcome your visit! We offer School Showings several times each semester for our programs for 16 months to six years. After attending a School Showing, you may schedule a Youngest Children's Community or Children's House classroom observation by calling or emailing the Admissions Coordinator at (512) 892-0253 ext 22 or admissions@austinmontessori.org.
  
  If you are interested in visiting an Elementary classroom or our Adolescent Community, you may call our Admissions Director at (512) 892-0253 ext. 21.

• Where are you located?

  Austin Montessori School has three campus locations in Austin, Texas.
  
  The Sunset Trail campus (16 months to 12 years) is located at 5006 Sunset Trail, Austin, 78745.
  
  The Great Northern campus (2 1/2 to 9 years) is located at 6819 Great Nothern Blvd, Austin, 78757.
  
  The Gaines Creek campus (Adolescent Community for 12 to 15 years) is located at 5677 Oak Blvd, Austin, 78735.

• What is the tuition?

  Please refer to the Tuition and Fees page for the tuition and fee schedule.

• How many children are in a class?

  Our Youngest Children's Communities for toddlers (16 months to 2 years, 10 months) have 12 children in each of our two classes.
  
  In keeping with AMI standards, our Children's House, Early Elementary and Upper Elementary classrooms each have a range of 28 to 35 children. 
  
  Each classroom community is lead by a trained AMI Montessori Guide (teacher) along with the help of an assistant.

• What is AMI?

  The Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) is one of our accrediting agencies. AMI was established in 1929 by Dr. Maria Montessori to maintain, propagate, and further her ideas and principles for the full development of the human being. AMI functions as the source of complete Montessori training and as a center for continuing research and development.

• Is this a year-round program?

  The majority of our school offers a 9 ½ month program, beginning in mid-August and continuing through the end of May. 
  
  We also offer a year round program for the Children's House level (3 to 6 years) at both our north and south campuses. We refer to this option as All-Day/All-Year Children's House. 
  
  Our Elementary students (aged 6-12) can enjoy our Slow Austin Summer Program which is offered for 8 weeks during June and July.

• Can my child come three days a week?

  In our community, children do best with a regular, predictable schedule.  Therefore, all of our programs are five days per week.

• Do you have a kindergarten program?

  AMI Montessori classrooms offer a three year age range starting with the Children's House for 3-6 year olds.  The Children's House includes what would elsewhere be termed the kindergarten year.  This final year from 5 to 6+ years allows children to fully integrate all of the foundational work that was begun in the previous two years.  Children of this age benefit from the daily opportunities for leadership and mentoring of younger children.

• What is the best age to start a child in Montessori?

  
  In our Youngest Children's Community, we primarily place children in the 16-19 month range.  
  
  In the Children's House level, the majority of spaces will be offered to children between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 years.
  
  
  

• How hard is it to transition a child from Montessori to a traditional school program?

  Our children do best remaining in the Montessori program through middle school. However, the characteristics and skills that your children develop in a Montessori community will stay with them for life and will carry them into a new environment with strength of character and confidence.