Montessori school near San Carlos
Mills Montessori is about 14 miles from San Carlos, 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.
Nobody drives from San Carlos for the convenience.
San Carlos is a long way up the Peninsula from us. Families here who enroll are almost always commuting north to San Francisco or to the biotech corridor, and the school sits on that route rather than off it.
Getting here from San Carlos
| Our campus | 1400 Hillside Blvd., South San Francisco, CA 94080 |
| Distance from San Carlos | About 14 miles |
| Getting here | North on Highway 101 or 280. |
| Area | San Mateo County |
| Local public district | San Carlos 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 San Carlos 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
Nobody drives from San Carlos for the convenience. They drive because the alternative they found closer to home stops at five, and they would rather do the mileage than do this twice.
- 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 San Carlos families 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.
- What happens after kindergarten if we come from San Carlos?The same school. Mills runs through fifth grade, so the kindergarten year is not the exit — which is the main reason families take on a drive at all rather than enrolling somewhere closer that finishes at five.
- We are in the San Carlos School District. Does that affect enrollment?No. Mills is a private school and enrollment has nothing to do with district boundaries. The district matters only in that it is your free alternative, and it is a fair thing to weigh — we have written an honest comparison with California TK that argues both sides.
- How do we actually see the school from San Carlos?Tours run mid-morning, during the work cycle, year-round and by appointment. Twenty minutes at the back of a working classroom answers more than any page can. Book a morning or call the office.
Other areas we serve
We would rather you drove up from San Carlos once, at 8 am on an ordinary Tuesday, and saw both the traffic and the classroom honestly. That is the visit that answers the question.
Come and see a morning
Tours run during the school day, year-round. About 14 miles from San Carlos.