FAQs

At CMA, enrollment applications are accepted throughout the year. A priority enrollment period is offered to current CMA families in February for the following school year, and Open Enrollment begins in March.

No, you don’t have to live near CMA to attend school here. We are a private school within the Mt. Healthy school district. We have children enrolled in CMA from all over the Tri-State area.

Unless your child is entering the toddler classroom. Yes, the State of Ohio requires children attending CMA to have their bathroom duties mastered.

Central Montessori Academy currently has a tuition assistance program. See what aid is available in Ohio at their website.

CMA does not offer Transportation, however, we do help with the process of applying for “In-Lieu Of” transportation form directly to your school district. This program is for students K-6 and is a refund from your local school district for not utilizing their transportation services. Contact your local school district for more information.

At the Student Interview, our teachers will work one-on-one with your child and do their evaluating based on our curriculum guidelines. The pre-primary students will work with a teacher for about 20-30 minutes and the elementary students spend a half-day with us. The goal is to make sure we are a right fit for your child and your child is a good match for CMA.

Our students have always packed their lunches and typically eat in their classroom in small groups. When it’s nice outside, our elementary students eat outside on their classroom patios. Some parents send hot food in a thermos, like ramen noodles or chicken and rice.

Tuition can be paid spread monthly over the maximum of 10 payments. All payments are handled by TADS.

CMA does offer a multi-child discount to families with more than one full time student enrolled. The discounts are: For two children 10% discount off the oldest child’s tuition. Families with three of more children enrolled, 10% discount for all children.

Children already enrolled in the school, and their siblings, have priority for enrollment over children who are applying for enrollment for the first time. In addition, children whose educational background is consistent with the Montessori method will have priority for enrollment over children whose background is otherwise.

A key objective in CMA’s acceptance policy is to develop the proper balance in age, gender and maturity in each class. With this consideration in mind, the faculty and administration confer to determine the admission of each child.

The Montessori Philosophy teaches and builds educational skills through hands on learning and discovery. A true Montessori philosophy works on the entire child, including their social and emotional development. Studies published by American Montessori Society have founds that students who attend Montessori educational programs have the ability to communicate orally, cooperate, think critically, and to view the human experience and how it relates to the constantly changing world.

See About Montessori for more information

Central Montessori Academy is affiliated with the American Montessori Society (AMS) and is on the path to accreditation. This affiliation with AMS shows that our program provides authentic Montessori experience with all certified Montessori teachers.

Central Montessori Academy is a member of the Ohio Association of Independent schools, the American Montessori Society, the Cincinnati Montessori Society, and the International Montessori Council. Currently the school is working towards achieving accreditation with the American Montessori Society and eventually with the Independent Schools Association of the Central States.

We offer programs for children ages 18 months through sixth grade. Please browse the Our Programs page to learn more.

Are there openings available?
We welcome rolling admissions, but availability varies throughout the year. Please call our office to inquire about availability for a specific program.

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The typical process begins with touring our school, followed by an application and student interview, then an acceptance decision.

At the Student Interview, our teachers will work one-on-one with your child and do their evaluating based on our curriculum guidelines. The pre-primary students will work with a teacher for about 20-30 minutes and the elementary students spend a half-day with us. The goal is to make sure we are a right fit for your child and your child is a good match for CMA.

Please see the Enrollment Process and Timeline page for more information.

We offer an educationally-focused summer camp for toddlers through age 6 that supplements our classroom experiences. Summer camps are open to both CMA and non-CMA students.

We welcome rolling admissions, but availability varies throughout the year. Please call our office to inquire about availability for a specific program.
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Central Montessori Academy is a non-profit, independent Montessori school licensed by the State of Ohio Department of Early Childhood Education and the State of Ohio Department of Education. CMA is licensed to serve toddlers, preschoolers and chartered to serve children in Kindergarten through Grade 6.

With a strong commitment to providing children with the highest quality education, there are Montessori-certified educators in every classroom.

It is CMA’s policy that staff member/child ratios must be maintained at all times. The present staff/child ratios are as follows:

• 1:6 for Toddler (18 – 36 months)
• 1:12 for Pre-Primary (Preschool and Kindergarten)
• 1:18 for Elementary Grades (1st- 6th Grade)

CMA does not administer standardized tests until the student’s 2nd grade year, however, regular progress reports are given to parents throughout the school year for all ages. Progress may be reported in the form of written report cards, parent-teacher conferences, phone calls or email.

On standardized tests, children who began in our program as Montessori preschoolers consistently have scores in the top 15% of students nationwide. Our students’ success goes well beyond the tests, as they often take on leadership roles in their junior high years and frequently return to CMA to perform community service.