St. Vrain Community Montossori School in Longmont

Category	Rating	Details
Test Scores	6/10	The Test Score Rating examines how students at this school performed on standardized tests compared with other schools in the state. The Test Rating was created using 2025 Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) data from Colorado Department of Education.

Posted: January 24, 2026

This is my review of middle school here. The teachers are great and really care about us. The environment is nice, it feels more like a living room than a classroom, which makes it way easier to get work done. The curriculum is good, its challenging but if you ask for help, the teachers make it really clear and easy to understand. We have a time called self peace, which is 15 minutes of wordless calm music with the lights off where you just get to do anything thats silent. Drawing, reading, knitting, napping, etc. its nice to just relax for a little bit. My experience in 4th-6th grade was a trainwreck. The teachers were not very dedicated to the job, or were dedicated, but didnt teach well. Two of them were great though. In 6th grade, I was struggling with math, and my teachers response was to just not make me do math. Our teacher was nice, but she didnt have any control over us. She let us just sit and talk, instead of doing work. Now that Im in 7th grade, Im actually learning well, and I enjoy going to school. Everyone gets along well and the teachers are great at helping us resolve conflict. There isnt really bullying here. At our last social we were jamming out to let it go and it was fun to see a bunch of teenagers acting like we were 5 again.

Posted: January 8, 2025

My son attended this school and it was a train wreck. The montessori mean girls that work there care more about other people's business than their own culpability. Self-reflection is unheard of in the building and every teacher that I encountered made me and my child feel othered. If you aren't white, white passing, or fully assimilated into the white Boulder County norms, you will not do well here. Of note: the former head of school hired her sister as an employee as a means to spy on the other teachers. I have never met a more unqualified person in my life.

Posted: August 15, 2024

My two kids have both thrived at SVCMS. Some of the things I appreciate are lower teacher student ratios, less use of technology in learning, whole child approach to working with kids.

As a parent, I enjoy the community I feel with both staff and parents. 100 mile club, coffees, meetups if you are interested in connecting with others, the invitation is there.

Posted: February 10, 2020

The school isnt equipped to help children that deviate from average. The head of school makes it clear that its a choice school and you can choose to leave if youre not happy with what theyre doing. They have very few resources to help children who differ in any way and they are unable to identify the actual issue and work to help the child. Even when asked to evaluate a child and help with an IEP the head of school wont help and says the problem is just that the child chooses to cause problems.

Posted: February 10, 2020

The schools is completely ineffective in this type of problem solving.

Posted: February 10, 2020

I think the teachers would like to help with this but theyre ineffective with the current management. While quiet, mainstream children can thrive its not the norm and children learn that if they struggle its because theres a problem with them, not an opportunity for growth. Its very damaging and intolerant. Children learn from this and are repeatedly shown intolerance and judgement from the adults at the school.

Posted: February 10, 2020

The head of school is ineffective and uncaring. Instead of working with families and children in a productive manner, she is punitive and shaming and uses outdated, damaging methods of discipline. The problem in her mind always lies with the child or the family and she simply pushes families out through judgement and shame. Its a concerning pattern that sadly isnt spoken about enough. Most families just leave and move on and the school doesnt care enough to look at their concerns and improve. The head of school treats children as disposable commodities and causes a lot of pain and damage.

Posted: February 10, 2020

The childrens house was a good experience but once my child entered elementary it was a very traumatic experience for the whole family. Sadly, I know that we arent alone in this experience which is why I decided to share this review. The school will not change with the current administration. It could have so much potential if someone stepped in that truly cared about the children and made the school a place where differences are tolerated and children can truly thrive. Even parents whose children continue at this school report always feeing like theyre in trouble. Parents are constantly told that the clothes their kids wear arent ok, the lunches they pack arent good enough, home discipline is judged with little to no knowledge and support. School should be a community where imperfect people meet to grow and learn together. A school that is this intolerant and arrogant simply causes too much damage.

Posted: February 10, 2020

They dont really have any which is nice

Posted: February 10, 2020

Childrens house is wonderful. Upper Elementary teachers are unable to help students and rely on harsh punishments instead of helping them learn and grow. I also know multiple families whose children have been told they have learning disabilities, only to move schools and their children thrive. This school is failing so many children. Of my sons lower elementary class almost half the children have left and sadly the administration seems to be relived to be rid of any children who struggle in any way.

Posted: January 15, 2019

Recess politics was worse than normal. so few kids. fewer options for like minded friendship. Fewer things to do in recess. Less diversity - so more ganging up against some kids. They need a good counseler like every other school and not rely on just the montessori curriculum to keep kids in check.

Posted: January 15, 2019

They actively dissuade parents on specifically working on academic skills in a targeted manner but give you a spiel on life enriching experiences - read aloud, play games etc. In that case, they should take full reponsibility for age appropriate skills - be it reading level/math and deliver. If they cannot deliver, they should use the parents to buffer up. Kids end up far worse for lack of skills compared to getting the parents involved for academic progress even it deviates from montessori practices. Also all this hand waving and philosophizing about montessori meant everyone was saying the same things regardless of reality. If you expressed concern about reading, you would be asked to read aloud - Just reading aloud doesn't make a reader. Canned montessori answers means parents/teachers/management aren ot listening to each other in an open manner. So kids were still into video games and tv at home and then the few kids who weren't, were asked why they wouldn't involve in conversations (About video games/ tv etc). The blame was mis-placed and the kid was labeled as lacking in social skills.

Posted: January 15, 2019

The children's house is good. They got my child thinking about taxonomy of the animal kingdom, deep learning about insects - all this even when some children weren't reading yet. Beyond that it is a mixed bag. My main pervasive problem is that they believe in the philosophy and see a problem with the parent/child - they don't for a minute pause to re-consider if the implementation of the philosophy is the one that should be modified. Instead it is the kid or something at home that could be different or that the child is a late boomer - i saw quite a few kids labeled as not reading at grade level when clearly it was a lack of well defined level expectation, lack of integrating writing (spelling) with reading beyond basic phonics (spelling rules ) etc earlier on, that was contributing to the problem. Kindergarten kids were adept at deciphering even big phonetic words but struggled with basic non phonetic words like he, she - whose fault would that be? Same with math - they had the materials - they taught them well. But it has to come together. If it doesn't, it is their job to modify the approach even if it felt like deviating from their understanding of the philosophy. Math needs way more repetition for some kids to nail the concept than they allot to it generally. The teachers mean well. If they tune in to reality as they see without putting their montessori lens on, this place could deliver very good academic results.

Posted: January 15, 2019

My child would talk about peace and so many good respectful ideas. Many kids were respectful and sweet.

School lacks in diversity/inclusion practices. There is not a culture of diverisity - Thinking is homogenized so that reflects everywhere. I don't know how to explain this. How soaked in montessori are you was the only small gradient.

Same with inclusion. For example, some parents repeatedly get volunteer opportunities that are not even posted via email lists. I offered to help with reading with kids in the classroom and was never called. I knew the classroom had parents help with reading. That is not the way other public schools work. All opportunities should be posted and all parents should be able to volunteer.

Posted: January 15, 2019

Stop politicizing education. It will be great if they work with the system especially when getting public funds - meet curiculum standards, get the kids tested according to state requirements. That way at least there will be basic level setting and accountability.
Even Maria Montessori was taken seriously only after kids trained in her method did very well in her state level exam. Use testing to your advantage. Take the good (results transparency, parents peace of mind), leave the bad.
The school needs to take primary responsibility for academic development of children and recruit the parent to work with them. Whole child development is also important - but this is more subjective and onus falls on the parents more with school complementing. WIth such clear definitions, they can they focus on a quality academic program instead of hiding behind the whole child spiel. They should may be read the book 'Make it Stick' to understand why some amount of testing and retrieval practice is not evil. Everything in moderation.
Similarly anything non- montessori is not paid attention to. For example, a snack in the afternoon makes more sense in terms of spacing of meals. They don't do that because of the montessori structure.
Regardless of what montessori says, kids tend to play with same age kids during recess. Even that is all messed up by split recesses beyond childrens house. Then kids also get split every year in unique ways that don't offer an opportunity for them to meet even in recess even if the child is right there in school. These are small but serious impacts in a child's life.
By the way, I love the montessori philosophy and the implementation is what I have a problem with.

Mostly the politicizing and the air of exclusion as if montessori can be understood and implemented only by select few......

Posted: January 15, 2019

Only if the child thrives in that setup. There is way more room for adaptation that is key to supporting learning differences.

Posted: January 15, 2019

It was a mixed bag. They help children think deeply, provide the foundation to verbalize ideas in different disciplines. They have a broader outlook on education and life. They just need clearer goals in academic skills development - they have the right setup. But they need feedback loops to get them to be effective with more kids. They also need to be inclusive in terms of using parents to further the child's education.
They need to communicate clear academic goals to parents that every (most) child(ren) should meet every year. Otherwise, even kids who are quite capable of academic advancement label themselves as late bloomers only because the works were not effective in teaching skills as I noted above. Once children labels themselves as slower to read or worse at math compared to their classmates, it is hard to make them see things differently. And yes, let's all talk the same language - parents are super concerned about these areas of education for good reason - so instead of beating around the montessori bush, let's communicate with each other and meet half way.

When parents come to talk to you with concerns, don't quote this other kid who magically started reading or who naturally transitioned to doing math in an abstract way. Kudos to that child - this tells me nothing - it could be secretly pushy parents at home, brilliant child or a child for whom things worked as they were). Instead give me statistics - how many in the class improved in reading that year from baseline to a specific level. (THat will tell me how effective the classroom methods have been.)
Tell me what skill gap needs to be filled specific to my child. Give me specific works that will get my child there. Skill development is quite measurable and improvable nowadays.
They need to get with the system (school district/outside environment) and not keep fighting it in unreasonable ways.
Good job on expounding the montessori philosophy in a living breathing way in the community. I only hope the management is able to continually listen openly and tweak so they can grow and serve the community better. Most of all thanks to the sweet teachers who sincerely care about the kids and are passionate in their own way.

Posted: November 14, 2018

Issues, while rare, are addressed swiftly, strongly, and appropriately. A great deal of effort is made to have clear expectations from the get-go, including a theme running through all age levels that supports constructive communication. This helps the kids form an appropriate mindset from day 1.

Posted: November 14, 2018

Leadership operates this school in a fiscally-responsible manner, which, for a charter school is critically important. They're accessible people, clearly engaged in everything going on.

This is another area I wish I could give 5 stars, but I wish there was a bit more oversight/checks and balances on the professionalism of one instructor in general who has routinely created a very negative environment for students and parents alike. Perhaps the oversight is happening, and we are just not seeing it, but hopefully that situation will improve.

Posted: November 14, 2018

Overall, an extraordinary, life-changing experience for our kiddos and our family. Some bumps along the way, but when is that ever not the case? We're still in awe every day that this school exists and we're fortunate enough to send our kids there. Just wow.

Posted: November 14, 2018

We love that part of the homework curriculum focuses on life skills. E.g., helping make dinner, do laundry, etc., and/or continued development of skills in the kids' interests, like playing a musical instrument, etc.

Posted: November 14, 2018

99% of the instructors at SVCMS are truly extraordinary. They are loving, strong, devoted people who obviously love what they do and are very good at it. These wonderful folks work so very hard, seemingly around the clock, to provide the most enriching educational environment anyone could dream of for their children. We as parents have formed quite strong bonds with these folks, and we absolutely adore them.

I wish I could rate this 5 stars, but we have had *extremely* poor experience with one instructor in particular, who we have found to be disrespectful to both students and ourselves as parents. Imagine your children coming home asking why one instructor constantly speaks to down to them in a baby-ish tone of voice (happens to us parents, too, which can only be described as feeling condescending and manipulative), or coming home and breaking down in tears because they were made to feel so terrible by this person on a routine basis. Other students and parents have reported similar experiences to us. Honestly that has been very challenging, but it is an anomaly because absolutely everyone else has been so incredibly wonderful.

Posted: November 14, 2018

Holy smokes the kids coming out of this school are some of the most well-rounded people I've ever met. They have a developed communication style, are pragmatic thinkers, are genuinely excited about learning, and have an underlying level of kindness that I truly believe is a rare find. Honestly this school is turning out the kind of people that give me hope in the future. How lucky we are to have SVCMS.

Posted: March 2, 2018

Administration tends to be a bit off putting. Great student performance, and great teachers. That being said, with the high rate of staff turnover, something is not quite right with leadership. Increasing morale to retain teachers would be a wonderful thing for the school.

Posted: August 23, 2016

Teachers, staff, and other parents in line are all people I would invite to live in my home. I cannot say enough about the character, intelligence and values of this community and how naturally these things flow through its children!

Posted: March 1, 2016

Some teachers at this school are wonderful, but it's really unpredictable. If your kids don't end up with the good teachers, they could have an experience that ranges from mediocre to terrible. The administration of the school is lacking in several areas.

Posted: April 24, 2014

this been a great school for me and i could never get a school as great. it is a great school.

Posted: April 24, 2014

i have loved going to school ever sense i started going there. if you are looking for a privet charter school this is the one it has great learning programs and fun activities and there are no desks! you get to chose where you sit you can sit with friends and in pre-3rd grade there is no homework! so if you do go to this school hope you enjoy it.

Posted: April 10, 2013

We have two children at SVCMS and we could not be happier. Our children are both thriving in so many ways. This is Montessori at it's best. The teachers and staff are truly amazing, they give so much EVERY day. The other thing we love is that SVCMS really is a community. My husband and I feel lucky to have found this school for ourselves as well as our kids!

Posted: March 11, 2011

We are disappointed with this school in that there is a general lack of communication between the school and the parents. Unless you are a part of the founding families, ideas are not well received by the school and/or their PVO. In addition, they were asking that all parents "donate" $1000 before Christmas break without any understanding where this money is going. We are moving our child to another private montessori school after this year

#	Name	Type	City	State	Overall Rating	Distance
1	Cherry Creek	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Denver	CO		31.1 mi
2	Sterling Hills West	Area of Town	Aurora	CO		38 mi

#	Name	City	State	Distance
1	Loveland	Loveland	CO	15.7 mi
2	Ft. Collins	Ft. Collins	CO	26.9 mi
3	Wellington	Wellington	CO	38.3 mi

St. Vrain Community Montossori School

Longmont, CO 80501

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St. Vrain Community Montossori School

Longmont, CO 80501

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