CORNERSTONE MONTESSORI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

What CORNERSTONE MONTESSORI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL does

Cornerstone Montessori Elementary School (CMES) is a tuition-free public charter school located at 1611 Ames Avenue on St. Paul's East Side in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Founded in January 2011 through authorization by Volunteers of America and opened in fall 2011, CMES serves children in grades K-6 (plus a Children's House toddler/preschool component) through an authentic Association Montessori Internationale (AMI)-recognized Montessori curriculum, making it the only public charter school in Minnesota with this credential. The school serves culturally and economically diverse families in its local community, with enrollment managed through an annual open enrollment window (February 1 to March 31) and a third-party-administered public lottery when applications exceed available openings; sibling, employee, and foster-child preferences apply per Minnesota law.

The school's core product is its Montessori educational program, delivered through multi-age classrooms, prepared environments, and individualized learning paths designed to develop self-discipline, collaborative skills, and community responsibility. The curriculum is supplemented by school-based mental health services, literacy and math support programs, "Going Out" adventure-based learning experiences, and an overnight camp program (Camp Ihduhapi) for upper elementary students. The school also operates a school meals program and publishes bilingual (English/Spanish) communications through a weekly Stepping Stones newsletter and a monthly newsletter focused on classroom environments.

As a 501c3 nonprofit organization (Federal Tax ID: 27-1556815), CMES is funded primarily through state and federal per-pupil charter school formula funding and accepts tax-deductible contributions to support specific programs; no tuition is charged. It is governed by a Board of Directors led by Board Chair Julaine Roffers-Agarwal, with Alyssa Schwartz serving as Head of School (and designated Title IX Coordinator and Human Rights Officer). Operations are limited to a single campus serving its immediate Saint Paul geographic community, with no indication of multi-site expansion, venture or institutional capital, or commercial scaling activities.

Name

CORNERSTONE MONTESSORI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Legal name

Cornerstone Montessori Elementary School

Website

https://cornerstone-elementary.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cornerstone Montessori Elementary School is a tuition-free public charter school in Saint Paul, Minnesota, serving grades K-6 through an AMI-recognized Montessori curriculum for culturally and economically diverse families on St. Paul's East Side.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-6 Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Montessori Preschools (EDACABAC), Montessori Early Learning Academies (EDACADAA)

Keywords

• Montessori education
• Charter school
• Elementary education
• Early childhood learning
• K-6 schooling

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

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. Charter School Funding: As a public charter school authorized by Volunteers of America, CMES receives state and federal per-pupil funding. The school is a 501c3 nonprofit organization (Federal Tax ID: 27-1556815) and accepts tax-deductible financial contributions to support literacy and math programs, school-based mental health services, and Going Out adventures.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cornerstone Montessori Elementary School is a tuition-free public charter school providing AMI-recognized Montessori education to students from preschool (Children's House) through grade 6. It serves families on Saint Paul's East Side under authorization from Volunteers of America Minnesota, delivering multi-age, self-directed classroom instruction to a culturally and economically diverse student body.

Product overview

Cornerstone Montessori Elementary School operates as a single, unified educational program—a public charter school offering authentic Montessori education from kindergarten through 6th grade. The school serves a culturally and economically diverse population on St. Paul's East Side through a multi-age classroom model (Children's House for early childhood, Elementary for K-6). The school publishes bilingual newsletters (Stepping Stones weekly and Monthly Newsletter) to keep families engaged, and provides school meal services including summer meal program information. As the only public charter school in Minnesota recognized by the Association Montessori Internationale, the school's core product is its Montessori curriculum rather than discrete software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Volunteers of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Volunteers of America serves as the authorizer of Cornerstone Montessori Elementary School's charter. This authorization relationship enables CMES to operate as a public charter school and receive state per-pupil funding. The charter was granted in January 2011.
• Montessori Center Minnesota (MCM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCM provided classroom space for CMES children to temporarily relocate during the Marsh classroom renovation/flood recovery period. Staff members Gina and Julaine Roffers-Agarwal (CMES board chair) attend MCM courses. CMES Head of School Alyssa Schwartz and Tom attended NCMPS (National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector) conference, connected through MCM network.
• Carpenter Nature CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMES children participate in field trips to Carpenter Nature Center, including the Bird by Bird program for elementary students.
• Camp IhduhapiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMES 4th-6th grade students attend overnight camping experiences at Camp Ihduhapi as part of the Upper Elementary program.
• Family Tree ClinicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily Tree Clinic provides age-appropriate puberty education talks for Upper Elementary students as part of the health education curriculum.
• Crumbl Cookies (Woodbury)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCMES hosted a mini-fundraiser at Crumbl Cookies in Woodbury on May 13, where a portion of profits benefited the school.
• Minnesota China Friendship Garden SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for community events at the Friendship Garden at Lake Phalen, including scavenger hunts open to CMES families.
• Metro State University (First Saturday Science)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetro State hosts First Saturday Science events at the Jason Carter Science Education Center, offering educational activities for children including pet-related science programs.
• JJ Hill School (Camp Invention)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCMES promotes Camp Invention summer program hosted at JJ Hill for children entering 1st-6th grades.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Metro Deaf School: Minnesota public charter school serving deaf and hard-of-hearing students K-8. Comparable as a Minnesota-authorized public charter school serving elementary grades with specialized pedagogical model and lottery-based enrollment.
• Bluffview Montessori School: Public Montessori charter school in Winona, Minnesota serving K-6. Direct peer in charter authorization model, AMI-aligned methodology, and primary-grade focus; differs geographically but operates in the same Minnesota public Montessori charter segment.
• Great River School: Minnesota public Montessori charter school serving grades K-12 in the Twin Cities. Operates as a charter school under AMI-aligned Montessori pedagogy, directly comparable to CMES in mission, regulatory status, and target market, though with broader grade coverage.
• Harvest Preparatory School: Minnesota public charter school in Minneapolis serving K-12 with a focus on underserved communities. Comparable in charter authorization structure, mission-driven enrollment of culturally and economically diverse families, and lottery-based admissions.

Regional players

• Montessori Center Minnesota (MCM): Private Montessori teacher training and education center in St. Paul that has hosted CMES staff development and provided temporary classroom space. Functions as both a peer (Montessori education provider) and an enabling partner (training pipeline) for CMES.

Others

• Volunteers of America Minnesota: The charter authorizer for CMES. Functions as an enabling/regulatory partner whose authorization enables CMES to operate and receive public funding; renewal decisions directly determine CMES's continued existence.
• Association Montessori Internationale (AMI): The international credentialing body that has recognized CMES as the only AMI-recognized public charter in Minnesota. Functions as an enabling/credentialing organization whose standards shape CMES's curriculum differentiation and competitive positioning.
• National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector (NCMPS): National advocacy and support organization for public Montessori schools. CMES leadership attended NCMPS conferences; the organization influences public Montessori policy and best practices that affect CMES's operating environment and expansion trajectory.

Broad incumbents

• Minneapolis Public Schools Montessori Programs: Traditional public school district operating several Montessori magnet programs in Minneapolis. Competes for the same Montessori-seeking families in the Twin Cities metro, though operates as a broader district portfolio rather than a single Montessori-focused charter.
• St. Paul Public Schools Montessori Programs: St. Paul Public Schools district operates Montessori programs within traditional public schools in the same city as CMES. Represents the district alternative to charter Montessori enrollment and competes for the same East Side families.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cornerstone-montessori-elementary-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

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