Jonathan Montessori House of Children will enter its 40th year serving the Southwest Metropolitan area. Since 1972 the school has operated as a private, Not for Profit corporation that is governed by a board of directors comprised of parents and teachers at the school. All decisions are made in the best interest of the children and any additional resources at the end of the year go directly back into the program. The school employs a Montessori trained director to ensure the highest program quality and provide on-going support and guidance to teachers in their awesome task of guiding young children. The director also guides the board in the decision making process so that the authentic Montessori Philosophy is always adhered to while we strive to meet the financial goals and obligations of the program.
Parents and staff are members of our corporation and are invited to monthly board of director’s meetings. An Annual Meeting is held each year to report to the membership the state of the school in regard to finances, program goals and achievements and to gather feedback from our membership. Parents and teachers are elected each year to serve on the board of directors.
Jonathan Montessori Starts “The World Learner School”
Jonathan Montessori House of Children was located in the first original homestead of the Jonathan area known as the Worm Barn, named for the second family to live on the homestead. In May of 1989 the school and barn was destroyed by a disastrous fire started by older children unknown to our school community. Many tiny schools would have folded at that point but our committed parents and staff all rallied together and created a plan for us to begin again in a new location, currently on Hundertmark Road.
We started with two rooms, built underneath them and opened in January 1990 with 30 children. The next year we added a classroom and at the end of three years we were full with a waiting list. Our planning and development committee researched growth options and we decided we wanted to begin an elementary school. We looked at various options and wanted to create a program that would bring in the natural growing diversity of the area. We contacted District 112 about starting a Charter School. They were in favor of the idea and greatly supported our efforts.
In February 1995 The World Learner School of Chaska, a public Montessori Charter School, was born and opened in September of 1995 with 24 students. Now The World Learner School has grown and flourished and has approximately 185 students in 1st through 8th grade. While Jonathan Montessori and The World Learner School both operate by authentic Montessori philosophy, they are separate entities and no preference for entrance is given to either school by attendance in the other.
