Clark Montessori High School

What Clark Montessori High School does

Clark Montessori High School is a public secondary school within the Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) district, located at 3030 Erie Avenue in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1995, it is recognized as the world's first public Montessori high school and serves students in grades 7-12. Its core offering is a Montessori-based curriculum built on Dr. Maria Montessori's philosophy, emphasizing experiential learning through 8 mandatory field studies, intersessions (including international travel such as Bahamas marine biology and Morocco), 200 hours of community service, and a yearlong senior research project presented to the community. The school supplements this with a Fine Arts program, a Horticulture Career Pathway (earning a State of Ohio graduation seal), Athletics (the Clark Cougars in the Miami Valley Conference), and over 20 student clubs, plus a Post-Secondary Planning Center for college and career readiness.

The school's technology layer is built on off-the-shelf third-party platforms: Schoology as the integrated learning management system, Google Apps for Education for student productivity, and Naviance for career planning. There is no proprietary in-house technology platform; differentiation is curriculum- and community-based rather than software-based. The institution is led by Principal Eric Higgins (in his fifth year, with a Montessori administration credential earned in July 2023) and is supported by an ecosystem that includes the Clark Montessori Foundation, a Partners in Education network (Tri-Health, YMCA, Joseph Beth Booksellers, and local businesses), and an active Families for Clark parent committee.

As a public school, Clark Montessori charges no tuition and does not generate commercial revenue. It is funded through Cincinnati Public Schools district allocations, government grants (including Title I), and supplementary private fundraising via the Clark Montessori Foundation. Enrollment is handled through the CPS district process, with no academic requirements and an interview plus signed agreement as the primary acceptance gate; the go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer via the district enrollment system, complemented by organic social media (Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter), email announcements, and community events.

Name

Clark Montessori High School

Legal name

Clark Montessori High School

Website

https://clark.cps-k12.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Clark Montessori High School is a public Cincinnati Public Schools secondary institution (grades 7-12) and the world's first public Montessori high school, delivering experiential Montessori curriculum, community service, field studies, and career pathways to a diverse student body at no tuition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public High Schools (EDAJAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Charter Montessori/Waldorf/Classical/Expeditionary (Pedagogical Models) (EDAJACAL)

Keywords

• Public secondary education
• Montessori high school
• Experiential learning programs
• College career readiness
• Community service learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Education Funding: Funded through Cincinnati Public Schools district and government education funding. No tuition charged to students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Clark Montessori High School delivers public Montessori-based secondary education for grades 7-12, centered on experiential learning, field studies, intersessions, mandatory community service hours, and a yearlong senior project. The school supplements its core curriculum with fine arts, horticulture career technical education, college and career readiness services, interscholastic athletics, and extracurricular clubs.

Product overview

Clark Montessori High School operates as a single unified educational institution offering a comprehensive Montessori-based high school program. The school's core offering is its nationally recognized Montessori high school curriculum, supplemented by specialized programs including a Fine Arts Program (with music, band, and visual arts courses), Horticulture Career Pathway (a state-approved career technical program), and College and Career Readiness services. The school also provides Athletics (competing as the Clark Cougars in the Miami Valley Conference) and over 20 student clubs and activities. All students participate in field studies, intersessions, mandatory community service, and complete a year-long senior project.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Montessori High School Program
• Fine Arts Program
• Horticulture Career Pathway
• College and Career Readiness Program
• Athletics Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Students complete 200 hours of community service throughout high school (36 hours/year in grades 7-8, 50 hours/year in grades 9-12)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Mama Mimi's PizzaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal pizza business participating in the Partners in Education program, supporting Clark Montessori through donations of time, products, or money.
• Crew Coop DesignminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDesign business partner in the Partners in Education program supporting Clark Montessori.
• Tri-HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare system partner in the Partners in Education program, providing health-related support and community engagement opportunities.
• Ten Thousand VillagesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFair trade retailer participating as a community partner in the Partners in Education program.
• Joseph Beth BooksellersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal bookstore participating in the Partners in Education program, supporting literacy and education.
• YMCAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor community partner supporting Clark Montessori through the Partners in Education program, offering youth development and community programs.
• Clark Montessori FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial foundation supporting and promoting the welfare of students and staff at Clark Montessori. Board meets monthly, organizes fundraising and support activities. Contact through clarkmontessorifoundation.org

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Withrow University High School: CPS magnet high school with a university-themed curriculum; comparable as a specialized public high school within Cincinnati Public Schools serving district-enrolled students.
• SCPA - School for Creative and Performing Arts: Cincinnati Public Schools magnet secondary school with a specialized artistic focus and selective admissions; comparable to Clark as a CPS magnet school that competes for the same district-enrolled students seeking specialized programs.
• Walnut Hills High School: Highly selective CPS magnet high school known for college-prep rigor; comparable as a CPS selective enrollment magnet that draws academically focused students from across the district.
• Aiken High School (New Tech): CPS New Tech high school emphasizing project-based learning; comparable as a CPS secondary school with an alternative pedagogical model aimed at college and career readiness.
• Woodward Career Technical High School: CPS career-technical high school offering career pathways leading to state graduation seals; comparable as a CPS secondary school with a career-technical focus similar to Clark's Horticulture pathway.
• Western Hills University High School: CPS magnet high school with university-themed programming; comparable as a district magnet secondary school competing for the same Cincinnati Public Schools student pool.
• James N. Gamble Montessori High School: Also a public Montessori high school within Cincinnati Public Schools serving grades 7-12, operating the same Montessori secondary model and district enrollment system as Clark; the most directly comparable peer.
• Spencer Center for Gifted and Exceptional Students: CPS school serving gifted students through secondary grades; comparable as a selective-enrollment public school within Cincinnati Public Schools offering specialized programming.
• Hughes STEM High School: CPS magnet high school with a STEM focus; comparable as a district magnet high school offering a specialized thematic curriculum to grades 7-12 within the same enrollment system.

Regional players

• Dater Montessori School: Public Montessori elementary school within Cincinnati Public Schools that funnels students into the district's Montessori secondary programs; comparable as a feeder pipeline and as a fellow public Montessori institution within the same district.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CMCougars
• Facebookfacebook.com/infoclarkmontessori
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/clark-montessori-high-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/clark.montessori/?hl=en

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clark Montessori High School