Admission Policies

Prairie View Montessori welcomes all children without regard to race, color, gender, or religious background. To meet Illinois state licensing requirements, children must be three to enter pre-school, out of diapers, and able to toilet themselves.

• Admission Process for Pre-School and Kindergarten
• Information packet sent
• Orientation meeting attended by parents
• Application form and check submitted
• Admissions interview held for parents and child
• Enrollment forms, enrollment fee, and first month’s tuition submitted by parents 

Our admission process begins when a family contacts us requesting information. The family then either drops by for information or is sent an information packet in the mail. Next, the parents are requested to attend a one-and-a half hour session at the school which outlines in detail our programs and educational approach. This is a good time to tour the classrooms and ask pertinent questions. Orientation meetings are held at regular intervals. Families who are interested in applying at this time submit an application form and a non-refundable application fee.

Once the application form is received, the family is invited to visit the school with their child for an admissions interview. While the child joins a class in session, the parents or guardians meet with an Admissions staff member and discuss the family’s goals and expectations for their child at Prairie View. At the same time, a teacher works with the child to gauge his or her readiness for admission. A few days after the interview, the family is contacted with the admissions decision. The final step is submission of the enrollment contract and related forms, along with the first month’s tuition and the yearly enrollment fee.

Admission Priority

Priority for admissions is given in the following order:

• Students currently enrolled
• Siblings of students currently enrolled
• Montessori transfer students

After these students, all other applications are processed in the order they are received. Parents re-enrolling a child should submit his or her application by the enrollment deadline. After this date, a returning student loses priority status and his/her application will be processed according to the date received.

Summer Splash! applicants who are attending the summer program only are not required to attend an orientation meeting. These admissions interviews are held at the school by the Admissions Staff. Families must apply for a minimum of one three-week session (there are three of these each summer). One session’s tuition must accompany the application form. Payment for additional sessions should be submitted the week before the session begins.