Montessori school near Potrero Hill
Mills Montessori is about 6 miles from Potrero Hill, at 1400 Hillside Blvd. in South San Francisco. One campus, ages two through fifth grade, open 7:30 am to 6:00 pm since 1988.
Families from Potrero Hill usually arrive with the same two questions: how long is the day, and what happens after kindergarten.
Potrero Hill has a clean shot down 280, which is a very different experience from crossing the city east to west — the freeway does the work and the exits at the county line are quiet in the morning. The families we see from the hill are usually weighing an SFUSD assignment they did not choose against something they can simply accept, and want the answer settled for more than one year at a time.
Getting here from Potrero Hill
| Our campus | 1400 Hillside Blvd., South San Francisco, CA 94080 |
| Distance from Potrero Hill | About 6 miles |
| Getting here | South on 280 to the Brisbane exits, then across. |
| Area | San Francisco |
| Local public district | San Francisco Unified School District |
| Ages served | Two through fifth grade |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 7:30 am – 6:00 pm |
| Enrollment | Open year-round, subject to availability |
Distance is approximate and measured in a straight line. The honest test is to drive it once at drop-off time — book a tour and you will.
What Potrero Hill families enroll in
Five programs, one building, one method — and the last of them runs to fifth grade.
Montessori Preschool
Preschool II is where the method does its most visible work: children choose their own tasks, stay with them as long as they hold, and start reading and calc…
Read moreages 2–3Montessori Toddler Program
A small, deliberately calm room for two- and three-year-olds — and potty training is not required to start, which rules a lot of families out elsewhere.
Read morethe kindergarten yearMontessori Kindergarten
The third year of the three-year cycle, and the one most families are tempted to skip for a free public place. It is the year the two before it were building…
Read morethrough 5th gradeMontessori Elementary School
The reason most families end up at Mills rather than somewhere closer: almost every other Montessori school within reach of here stops at kindergarten.
Read moreages 2–11Montessori Summer Sessions
Three optional summer sessions after the 180-day school year, enrolled separately, with the same 7:30 am to 6:00 pm coverage.
Read moreWhy families make the drive
There is no trick to why families come from Potrero Hill. The hours cover a working day, the prices are on the website, and the school does not end at kindergarten.
- Elementary through fifth gradeThe single most useful thing to know about us, and the reason most families travel past a closer preschool.
- Tuition published in full$1,100–$1,750 a month by program and schedule, every fee listed. No inquiry form between you and a number.
- A day that covers a working day7:30 am to 6:00 pm, Monday to Friday — which matters more the further you are driving.
- Open enrollment, year-roundSubject to availability. You apply when your family needs a place.
- Licensed and easy to checkCalifornia Department of Social Services facility #414002135, licensed capacity 120.
What Potrero Hill families ask
- Do you give priority to families from Potrero Hill?No. Enrollment is open year-round and offered in the order places come free, regardless of which town you are driving from.
- Is there before and after care for a longer commute?The extended full day runs 7:30 am to 6:00 pm, which is the whole point for families driving any distance. It is a schedule, not an add-on billed by the hour.
- What does it cost?Between $1,100 and $1,750 a month depending on the program, days per week and length of day, plus a one-time $200 enrollment fee. Every figure is on the tuition page — we do not make you ask.
- Can we start mid-year?Yes. Enrollment is open all year, subject to availability, so families move to us when a childcare arrangement changes rather than waiting for September.
Other areas we serve
Before you commit to the drive from Potrero Hill, come and see a work cycle. If the room does not convince you, the website should not either.
Come and see a morning
Tours run during the school day, year-round. About 6 miles from Potrero Hill.