Maria Montessori Academy

What Maria Montessori Academy does

Maria Montessori Academy is a tuition-free public Montessori charter school located at 2505 North 200 East in North Ogden, Utah, authorized in 2010 by the Utah State Charter School Board and the Utah State Board of Education. The school serves approximately 400 students from Kindergarten through 9th Grade across elementary and junior high campuses, operating as a nonprofit entity governed by a parent-and-community Board of Directors under Director Kacee Weaver and Board Chair Nancy Lindeman. Enrollment is managed through an annual computerized lottery with sibling and employee priority, and the school is Cognia-accredited.

The instructional model is built on Dr. Maria Montessori's authentic child-centered philosophy, delivered through hands-on materials, multi-age classrooms spanning three grade levels, individualized instruction, and a whole-child approach that integrates Social-Emotional Learning through grace-and-courtesy lessons, conflict resolution, and community meetings. The product set includes half-day and full-day Kindergarten, junior high athletics (soccer, flag football, track, basketball), after-school clubs, student health services, and a preschool partnership with The House of Children; a National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program is planned for the 2026-2027 school year. Supporting technology is operational rather than pedagogical: the Aspire SIS and parent portal, the USBE state parent portal, Square for fees/donations, Smore for newsletters, Canva for SEL materials, SafeUT for safety reporting, and a custom FrogTummy enrollment/lottery/carpool portal. A 40-panel 10 kWh rooftop solar array built by Wasatch Sun, partially funded through Rocky Mountain Power's Blue Sky program, generates roughly 17,000 kWh annually.

The business model is public-charter rather than commercial: per-pupil state funding from Utah is the primary revenue source, supplemented by 9th-grade school fees, federal ESSER III grants, and community donations/fundraising. There is no tuition, no equity funding, no M&A activity, and no parent company. GTM is community-led via information nights, school tours, weekly newsletters, organic social (Facebook, Instagram), and word-of-mouth referrals; the school is capacity-constrained rather than demand-constrained, with lottery oversubscription effectively serving as the demand signal.

Name

Maria Montessori Academy

Legal name

Maria Montessori Academy

Website

https://mariamontessoriacademy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Maria Montessori Academy is a tuition-free public Montessori charter school in North Ogden, Utah, serving roughly 400 K-9 students via lottery-based enrollment and funded primarily by per-pupil state appropriations, with Director Kacee Weaver and Cognia accreditation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Primary and Secondary Education (K-9 Charter School)

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Montessori Preschools (EDACABAC), Charter Special Education & Inclusive Programs (EDAJACAF)

Keywords

• Public charter school
• Montessori education
• K-9 education
• Social-emotional learning
• Whole-child learning

Headquarters

HQ city

North Ogden

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil State Funding: Publicly funded charter school receiving per-pupil state funding from the State of Utah. This is the primary revenue source as a tuition-free public school.
2. School Fees: Required school fees for secondary students (9th grade). Fee schedules available for each school year.
3. ESSER III Funds: Federal ESSER III funds awarded by the state: 20% for addressing student learning and accelerating achievement, 80% for upgrading wireless technology, technology devices, equipment, and health/safety measures.
4. Donations and Fundraising: Donations accepted through school office. Fundraising activities including school-wide fundraising committee. Current fundraising for risers, bleachers, scoreboard, and sound system.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Maria Montessori Academy is a tuition-free public Montessori charter school serving approximately 400 students in Kindergarten through 9th grade at its North Ogden, Utah campus. It delivers individualized Montessori education grounded in Dr. Maria Montessori's authentic philosophy, with hands-on materials, multi-age classrooms, Social-Emotional Learning, and a whole-child approach. Beyond core academics, the school offers half-day and full-day kindergarten, junior high competitive athletics (soccer, flag football, track, basketball), after-school clubs, student health services, an enrollment lottery, and a forthcoming school meal program.

Product overview

Maria Montessori Academy is a tuition-free public Montessori charter school serving Kindergarten through 9th grade, founded in 2010 and located in North Ogden, UT. The school offers a unified Montessori-based educational program focused on whole-child development, with programs including half and full-day kindergarten, junior high athletics (grades 6-9), Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), preschool, school meal programs, student health services, enrollment lottery system, and after-school programs. The school integrates with Aspire for parent/student portal access, USBE Parent Portal, Square for payments, Smore for newsletters, and Canva for design materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-9 Charter School Education Tuition-free public Montessori charter school education serving Kindergarten through 9th Grade, providing an individualized, whole-child Montessori curriculum with hands-on materials, multi-age classrooms, and Social-Emotional Learning integration for families in North Ogden, Utah.
• Half and Full-Day Kindergarten Kindergarten program offering both half-day (8:30am-11:30am) and full-day (8:30am-3:15pm) options for children who must be five years old on or before September 1, delivered through the Montessori method.
• Junior High Athletics
• Preschool Program
• School Lunch and Breakfast Program Meal program launching 2026-2027 school year offering breakfast and lunch to students, staff, and visitors, with anticipated participation in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program (free/reduced-price meals).
• Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Program
• After School Programs
• Student Health Services
• Enrollment Lottery System
• Celebration of Life Book Donations

Quantifiable outcome

• Voted #1 Charter Elementary in North Ogden by community in 2023
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• North Ogden Police DepartmentcoreOthersStrong community partnership with regular presence in the school building. Officers walk the building and visit with kids. Invited to annual Gratitude Feast where they visit, read to students, and have lunch.
• North Ogden Fire DepartmentcoreOthersLocated next door to the school with frequent visits to see kids. Invited to annual Gratitude Feast along with Police, North Ogden City, and organizations from Pleasant View, Harrisville and North Ogden.
• North Shore Aquatics Center / North Ogden PoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose relationship with facility. Annual back-to-school party held at North Shore Aquatics Center.
• Spring Gardens Senior LivingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents visit with Spring Gardens Senior Living residents to sing and provide community outreach, building intergenerational connections.
• Mountain Heights AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide approved students with Utah Statewide Online Education Program (SOEP), allowing grades 7-12 students to take online courses with in-person support from MMA staff.
• Rocky Mountain Power Blue Sky ProgramminorOthersSolar project made possible in part by 30,000+ Utah residential and business customers participating in Rocky Mountain Power's Blue Sky renewable energy program. The voluntary green power program supports development of new renewable energy resources.
• The House of ChildrenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreschool program partner affiliated with Maria Montessori Academy. Contact provided for preschool inquiries at [email protected].
• Local Businesses (Lee's Marketplace, Wing Wah, Sapori Italian Bakery, Thai Better Ogden, Ramen Haus)minorOthersSupport from local families and businesses through tours, donations for international festival and gratitude feast events.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Canyon Heights Academy: Utah-based tuition-free public charter school; directly comparable as a regional charter competitor for families seeking non-traditional public education options.
• Wasatch Peak Family Academy: Public charter school in Northern Utah serving K-8 with a focus on classical/structured pedagogy; comparable as a tuition-free public charter in the same geography competing for similar families.
• Odyssey Charter School: Utah public charter school in the same region offering K-9 tuition-free public education; comparable in mission, funding model, and grade-band coverage.
• American Preparatory Academy: Multi-campus Utah charter school network offering tuition-free public education in the Wasatch Front; directly comparable as a Utah-based public charter school competing for the same North Ogden-adjacent families.

Broad incumbents

• BASIS Charter Schools: National network of high-performing public charter schools; comparable as a larger, scaled charter operator competing for college-prep-oriented families seeking tuition-free alternatives.
• KIPP Public Schools: Large national charter school network; comparable as an established tuition-free public charter model with similar non-tuition, per-pupil-funded operating structure.
• National Heritage Academies: Charter management organization operating public charter schools nationwide; comparable as a scaled operator of tuition-free public charter schools funded via state per-pupil allocations.
• Charter Schools USA: National charter school management organization; comparable as an established charter operator with similar revenue model (state per-pupil funding) and enrollment-driven economics.

Others

• The Montessori Foundation: Nonprofit organization supporting Montessori education globally; comparable as an ecosystem/credentialing body rather than a direct operator — relevant for benchmarking authentic Montessori practice.

Regional players

• Lehi Montessori School: Private Montessori school operating in Utah; comparable as a Utah-based Montessori pedagogy provider, though tuition-based rather than public charter-funded.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MMAofUT
• Instagraminstagram.com/mmamountainlions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maria-montessori-academy

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Maria Montessori Academy