Admissions FAQ
Everything families ask, answered on one page
If your question is not here, call the school office — a two-minute conversation usually beats a paragraph.
The basics
The basics
- What ages does Mills Montessori serve?Children from age two through fifth grade — toddler (Preschool I), preschool and pre-kindergarten (Preschool II), kindergarten, and elementary. Most Montessori schools in the area stop at kindergarten.
- What are your hours?Monday to Friday, 7:30 am to 6:00 pm. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
- How long is the school year?180 days, running late August to June, followed by three optional summer sessions.
- Where exactly are you?1400 Hillside Blvd., South San Francisco, CA 94080 — on Hillside Boulevard above South San Francisco, reachable from both Highway 101 and Interstate 280.
- How long has the school been open?Mills Montessori was established in 1988.
Cost
Cost
- How much is tuition?Between $1,100 and $1,750 a month depending on the program, the number of days per week and the length of the day. Every rate is on the tuition page.
- Is tuition monthly or annual?The published figures are monthly. Annual tuition is based on the 180-day school year and may be paid in one payment for a 5% discount before May 1st (3% after) or in ten installments.
- What else will we be charged?A one-time $200 enrollment fee for new students; an annual materials and testing fee of $300 (preschool) or $450 (kindergarten and elementary); enrichment classes; and any additional hours beyond your schedule. The full fee table is published — if it is not on that page, it is in the Financial Agreement — which we publish too.
- Do you offer a sibling discount?Yes — 5% off for a second child, and school-holiday care has its own sibling rate ($200 rather than $120 each). For anything beyond that, across regular tuition, call the office at 650-616-9000 — we would rather give you an accurate answer for your family than a general one.
- Is there financial assistance?Speak with the school office at 650-616-9000 about your family’s circumstances.
- How does this compare to daycare?Many Bay Area families are already paying comparable monthly amounts for care that ends at preschool. Mills is a school with the same 7:30 to 6:00 coverage that continues through fifth grade.
Applying
Applying
- When is the application deadline?There isn’t one. Enrollment is open year-round, subject to availability.
- Can we start mid-year?Yes, and many families do. For an older child joining elementary without a Montessori background we would want to talk through the transition first.
- Is there an entrance test?No entrance test for young children. We do want to meet your child.
- Do you have space right now?It depends on the program and the time of year. Call 650-616-9000 and we will tell you honestly what is open.
- What paperwork is required?The enrollment application, the signed financial agreement, and the immunization and emergency information required of a California licensed facility. See forms and calendar.
The classroom
The classroom
- Does my child need to be potty trained?Not for the toddler program. Potty training is not a condition of entry at Mills.
- What is a mixed-age classroom?Children of roughly a three-year span share a room. Younger children learn by watching older ones; older children consolidate by explaining. The oldest year of each cycle is where the benefit shows.
- Will my child be ready for a traditional school afterwards?Children leave Mills at the end of fifth grade for public and private middle schools. The habits elementary Montessori builds are the ones middle school assumes.
- Do you serve lunch?Lunch arrangements are set out in the enrollment paperwork — call the office at 650-616-9000 for the current arrangement for your child’s program.
- What enrichment is available?Ballet, jazz and modern dance, piano, Mandarin, Spanish, ceramics and soccer, once weekly at additional cost. See enrichment.
Visiting
Visiting
- Can we visit before applying?Please do. We would rather you visited twice than applied once on the strength of a website.
- When do tours run?During the school day, year-round, by appointment — ideally mid-morning, while the work cycle is happening.
- Can our child come on the tour?Yes, and it is useful. Watching your own child in the room tells you things a tour guide cannot.
- How do we book?Call the school office at 650-616-9000 or use the tour request form.
Come see a morning at Mills
Tours run during the school day, year-round, by appointment.