Montessori school near San Francisco
Mills Montessori is about 8 miles from San Francisco, 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 in San Francisco often find us late, after the local options have been walked through and the question of what happens at six is still unanswered.
A meaningful share of Mills families live in San Francisco and drive south, which is the opposite direction to the morning crush. One parent’s letter describes driving past the school on the way to work for 24 years before her children ended up here.
Getting here from San Francisco
| Our campus | 1400 Hillside Blvd., South San Francisco, CA 94080 |
| Distance from San Francisco | About 8 miles |
| Getting here | South on Highway 101 or Interstate 280 to the South San Francisco exits. |
| 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 San Francisco 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
The honest pitch to a San Francisco family is a short one: one campus, one method, ages two to eleven, and a price list you can read before you call.
- 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 Francisco families ask
- How is tuition actually paid?Annual tuition is based on a 180-day school year. You can pay it in one payment for a 5% discount, or in ten installments. Every rate and every fee is on the tuition page.
- Can we come part-time?Yes. Three, four or five days a week, and morning, full day or extended full day. Families driving from San Francisco more often lengthen the day than shorten the week, but both are offered.
- Do you have a campus in San Francisco?No — and we would rather be straightforward about it. Mills Montessori has a single campus at 1400 Hillside Blvd., South San Francisco, CA 94080, about 8 miles from San Francisco. Everything on this page is about that one school and the families who drive to it.
- How long does the drive from San Francisco really take?South on Highway 101 or Interstate 280 to the South San Francisco exits. We will not pretend to know your morning — the useful thing is to drive it once at drop-off time. Book a tour for 8:45 am and you will find out on the way in.
Other areas we serve
Before you commit to the drive from San Francisco, 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 8 miles from San Francisco.