The top reported proficiency rate is 69% in English language arts. The lowest is 63% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Montessori Day Public Schools Chartered Inc. (4359)
Montessori Day Public Schools Chartered Inc. is a small charter district in Maricopa County serving kindergarten through eighth grade. With the closure of its Tempe campus in 2022, the district now operates a single school, Mountainside, located in Phoenix. For families drawn to Montessori pedagogy, this district is one of the few public charter options in the region offering that approach through the middle school years.
The district’s academic performance, measured across the grades that were testable, places it among the higher-performing districts in Maricopa County. On the state’s AASA assessments, third-grade math and fifth-grade English language arts each showed a solid mastery rate, and fifth-grade science also reflected strong results. Many other grade-level results were suppressed because the tested groups were too small to report, a common pattern in a district with a total enrollment of about 175 students. A single-year proficiency index that averages across all tested subjects and grades puts the district in the top quartile of the county’s districts, a meaningful strength given the range of options in the area.
The student body is majority white, with a substantial Hispanic population and smaller shares of several other racial and ethnic groups. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals, as well as special education and English learner counts, were not available. A parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports.
Chronic absenteeism is comparatively low, landing in the top quartile among Maricopa County districts—a positive indicator of consistent student attendance. Per-pupil current spending, however, falls at the lower end of the county range. That may reflect the efficiencies of a small charter operation, but families interested in resource levels for arts, extracurriculars, or student services should inquire.
Because the district ends at eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and the data do not include any high school outcomes. This is a feeder into area high schools, and a family considering the district will need to plan for the transition after eighth grade.
The closure of the Tempe campus, which was located in Chandler, means that families in the southeastern part of the Phoenix metro area no longer have a neighborhood option under this charter. The remaining Mountainside campus serves a single location, and geographic access is now limited to those within commuting distance of that Phoenix site.
Overall, Montessori Day Public Schools Chartered Inc. offers a small, high-performing Montessori pathway through middle school, with strong test results and low absenteeism, but at a per-pupil spending level that is lean by county standards and with a single campus that narrowed its reach after the 2022 closure.
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