As the 2025-2026 school year gets underway, Noozhawk’s Private & Independent School Guide is designed to help parents explore the many educational options available across Santa Barbara County.
This annual guide serves as a go-to resource for families looking for the right academic environment to support their child’s growth and success.
To provide families with meaningful insights, Noozhawk connected with representatives from local private and independent schools to share their perspectives, programs, and the latest updates from their campuses.
In this spotlight, Noozhawk spoke with Tyler Clark, Director of Admissions at Montessori Center School to highlight what makes their school community unique.
Montessori Center School
Question: What is the educational philosophy of your school?
Answer: Montessori is all about fostering a child’s independence, and inspiring curiosity and a love for learning through hands-on exploration and discovery. Student work is child-centered and teacher-guided in a way that helps students enjoy and master the curriculum at their own pace.
From 18 months through 6th grade, MCS students enjoy hands-on learning on our beautiful garden campus where they can explore and grow with the support of outstanding teachers and a wonderfully supportive community of peers and parents.
Q: Can you describe the unique aspects of your curriculum?
A: At its core, Montessori’s curriculum is broad, multicultural and interdisciplinary, fostering strong conceptual understanding and skills. The Montessori materials that accompany every lesson capitalize on the hand-brain connection in learning and memory formation. The curriculum spirals, so that children get multiple exposures to different parts of the curriculum as the children progress through the years, which deepens learning.
Our Spanish immersion program offers students ages three through 3rd grade the opportunity to learn in a dual language Montessori classroom as they develop bilingualism and biliteracy.
Q: What is the average class size, and how does it impact the learning experience?
A: Class size varies from 18 to 24 children, depending on program level.
Our Toddler classrooms serve up to 18 students with three teachers.
Our Primary and Elementary classrooms serve up to 24 students with two teachers.
All classrooms have a lead teacher and one or more assistant teachers. Grounded in research that reveals the benefits to children of learning with the same teacher for two or more years, each classroom at MCS spans a multi-year learning continuum.
The child stays with the same teacher for two to three years, which allows the teacher to build an enduring relationship with the child and their family – one wherein the teacher gets to know the child’s unique strengths and interests.
The multi-age classroom in a Montessori school creates a rich learning environment where children of different ages learn from and support one another. Older students become mentors, reinforcing their knowledge while guiding younger peers, who also benefit from this collaborative experience. This structure fosters community, independence, and empathy among students.
Q: What are the qualifications and experience levels of your teaching staff?
A: Each classroom at MCS is led by a credentialed Montessori teacher and is supported by a full-time assistant teacher. Our teachers train at top teacher training centers nationally, and our lead teachers bring an average of 16 years of teaching experience and expertise in child development.
Our upper elementary teachers additionally hold traditional teaching credentials and masters degrees and are well versed in California’s common core standards. Dual credentialing allows them to scaffold toward the typical learning formats our students will experience at the middle school level.
Question: What is your admissions process, and what qualities do you look for in prospective students?
A: In alignment with program needs, Montessori Center School admits on a first-come-first-served basis. Prospective families tour the school and complete a written application accompanied by a $100 non-refundable fee. The admissions process also includes a brief observation of your child to help us get to know your child as we consider program level placement and classroom.
We still have a few openings for the current school year, and we invite interested families to schedule a tour with our Director of Admissions, Tyler Clark (www.mcssb.org/how-to-apply).
Q: Can you explain the tuition and fees structure? Are there any scholarships or financial aid options available?
A: Tuition contracts are offered on an annual basis. The school also funds a need-based tuition assistance program, and we encourage families to apply for tuition assistance if the full cost of attendance is out of reach financially. Qualifying families reapply for tuition assistance grants annually.
Q: How does your school support students with special learning needs or exceptional talents?
A: The Montessori method uses a flexible, open-ended, and child-centered curriculum, which is well-suited for children across a broad spectrum of learning styles, strengths and needs. We offer additional services designed to ensure that every child receives the personalized support they need to thrive – including auxiliary support and interventions when appropriate.
Students access a range of tailored interventions and resources within our inclusive Montessori environment, focusing on each child’s unique strengths and challenges. Services on campus include weekly sessions with our on-campus learning specialist and speech and occupational therapy.
Our dedicated team works closely with families and students to create unique individualized plans that promote their development and to nurture confidence and a love of learning.
Q: What extracurricular activities, sports, and clubs are available to students?
A: Every child in the school takes art, music, library, and physical education classes weekly. Our families also select from Spanish and Mandarin Chinese classes for their children. Elementary students also take drama and prepare for musical theater productions.
They also participate in our STEM lab program, exploring the worlds of engineering, physics, chemistry, and coding. All of this takes place during the school day and augments the Montessori curriculum.
After school, we participate in the Santa Barbara independent schools intramural athletics league in soccer, basketball, flag football and volleyball at the elementary level. Students can also enroll in extracurricular classes on campus after school in Lego robotics, chess club, hip-hop dance, Chinese culture club, theater, and piano lessons.
Q: How does your school incorporate technology into the learning environment?
A: Montessori places strong emphasis on the research-based approach of establishing and capitalizing on the hand-brain connection in learning and memory formation. We are also purposeful about not rushing childhood. Our classrooms are screenless through third grade, and students learn from hands-on experiences and our rich panoply of Montessori materials.
In upper elementary, our students are gradually introduced to safe and purposeful use of technology. Each year, our 4th, 5th and 6th grade students complete the YLP (year-long project), where they pick a topic to thoroughly research.
Through the research process, they learn how to use a variety of technology tools and platforms and present their ideas in writing and through formal presentation. They also explore the world of technology, coding, and engineering in our STEM lab specialist class.
Q: What steps does your school take to foster a sense of community among students and families?
A: Our community of students and families is the heart of MCS! Our Montessori Parent Organization (MPO) plans amazing events and opportunities for families to connect and have fun. From classroom potlucks and our lower elementary family beach campouts to our weekday morning parent coffees, to our annual Harvest Picnic and auction benefit gala, there are myriad opportunities for families to get involved and forge lasting friendships.
Community is especially felt within our classroom environments. Thanks to our multi-age classroom model, families spend two to four years with the same teachers, who are experts at fostering a vibrant culture of inclusivity and joy for the children.
The children play a significant role in this by running daily class meetings, supporting one another, and practicing leadership and collaboration in their classroom communities.
Q: How does your school ensure the safety and well-being of students on campus?
A: At MCS, our environments are carefully designed with the child at the center – their safety, developmental phase and needs come first. Montessori does so much to develop students’ executive functioning skills and social-emotional capacity.
This is evident in the physical nuances of our classrooms and in the purposeful choices our teachers make in their interactions with students each day. Our approach is a big part of why so many families choose MCS.
A study published in 2021 looked at how attending a high-quality Montessori program impacted students’ wellbeing – how people think and feel about their lives. The researchers’ analysis revealed that the more years a child attended Montessori, the higher their wellbeing as an adult.
Q: Is there anything you would like to share that was not mentioned above?
A: We are always working to make life a little easier for parents – and especially working parents! We offer aftercare at all program levels until 5:30 pm each day. Parents and caregivers appreciate the consistency, joy and structure of aftercare. We also offer winter, spring and summer break camps, extending the availability of childcare by nine weeks each year.
To learn more about Montessori Center School click here!