Montessori School of Durham

What Montessori School of Durham does

Montessori School of Durham (MSD) is an independent, nonprofit private Montessori school founded in 1976 in Durham, North Carolina, serving approximately 180 students from infancy (6 months) through 6th grade on a seven-acre campus at 2800 Pickett Road. The school operates a continuous multi-aged classroom model following Montessori principles, integrating the RIE (Resources for Infant Educarers) philosophy in its infant program, and maintaining dual accreditation from the American Montessori Society and AdvancEd/Cognia. MSD was the first school in North Carolina to achieve AMS accreditation in 1996 and remains one of only six NC schools to hold this credential.

The school generates revenue through five primary streams: tuition ($17,910-$29,480 annually depending on program level), extended care fees ($790-$9,160), summer camps ($215-$510 per week), enrichment programs ($160-$973), and donations through the Annual Fund and Parents' Association. The core academic product spans five program levels (Infant, Toddler, Early Childhood & Kindergarten, Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary), supplemented by Specials (art, Spanish, PE, music, reading), enrichment programs, and extended care. Application requires a $100 fee plus a $1,500 acceptance fee, with 24% of students receiving financial aid assessed through the Clarity platform.

MSD operates a sales-led admissions model requiring campus tours and classroom observations, and is governed by a Board of Trustees. The current Head of School, Tammy Squires, has led the school since 2005 and announced retirement effective June 2027, with a Search Committee working with moss+ross to identify a successor. The staff consists of 54 faculty and administrative personnel (with the firmographic record citing 37 employees), most lead teachers having tenure exceeding a decade. The school community represents 40+ countries, with nearly half of families having lived abroad.

Name

Montessori School of Durham

Legal name

Montessori School of Durham

Website

https://msdurham.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Montessori School of Durham is a nonprofit private Montessori school founded in 1976 in Durham, North Carolina, serving approximately 180 students from infancy through 6th grade on a seven-acre campus. It generates revenue through tuition, extended care, summer camps, enrichment programs, and donations, with dual AMS/AdvancEd accreditation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Primary & Early Childhood Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (61)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Montessori Preschools (EDACABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Montessori K–12 Schools (EDAJABAD), Preschool Programs within Private K–12 Schools (EDACABAM), Full-Day Nursery Programs (EDACACAD)

Keywords

• Private montessori education
• Early childhood education
• Elementary school programs
• Infant daycare services
• Summer camp programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Academic Program Tuition: Annual tuition for educational programs ranging from $17,910 to $29,480 depending on program level (Infant, Toddler, Early Childhood, Kindergarten, Elementary). Payment plans available: 10-month, annual (4% discount), or semiannual (2% discount).
2. Extended Care Fees: Before School Care ($790/year), After School Care ($1,810-$9,160/year depending on program level and hours). Additional charges for drop-in care.
3. Summer Camp Programs: Weekly summer camp programs for children 3 years old through rising 7th grade. Fees range from $215-$510 per week depending on camp type and duration. Extended care available at additional cost.
4. Enrichment Programs: After school enrichment programs including music lessons, nature programs, art, dance, karate, soccer, drama, and more. Separate enrichment fees in addition to tuition. Fees range from $160-$973 depending on program.
5. Donations and Annual Fund: MSD Annual Fund and individual donations. The school actively engages in fundraising through its development committee and Parents' Association.
6. Application and Acceptance Fees: $100 non-refundable application fee. $1,500 one-time non-refundable acceptance fee (discounted to $750 for siblings).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Montessori School of Durham delivers an independent, accredited Montessori education for children from 6 months through 6th grade, including Infant, Toddler, Early Childhood/Kindergarten, and Elementary programs built on multi-aged classrooms and prepared environments with multisensory Montessori materials. The school supplements its core academic programs with Specials (Art, Spanish, PE, Music, Reading), optional Enrichments, before- and after-school Extended Care, and weekly Summer Camps. All programs are delivered directly on the school's seven-acre Durham, NC campus.

Product overview

Montessori School of Durham is an independent Montessori school offering a comprehensive educational program from infant (6 months) through 6th grade. The core academic programs include the Infant Program, Toddler Program, Early Childhood & Kindergarten, Lower Elementary (Grades 1-3), and Upper Elementary (Grades 4-6). Supporting the academic curriculum are Specials programs (Art, Spanish, PE, Music, Reading), optional Enrichment Programs (music lessons, clubs, STEM), Extended Care (before/after school care), and Summer Camp. The school operates on a multi-aged classroom model following Montessori principles, with accreditation from American Montessori Society and AdvancEd.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Infant Program All-day, 5-day program for children ages 6 months to 15 months providing a nurturing, prepared environment based on Montessori and RIE (Resources for Infant Educarers) philosophy. Annual tuition $25,580–$29,480.
• Toddler Program 5-day program for children 15 months to 3 years available in half-day (9:00am–12:00pm, $19,850/yr) and all-day (9:00am–3:00pm/4:00pm/5:30pm, $25,580–$29,480/yr) formats, covering toilet learning, language development, and social skills.
• Early Childhood & Kindergarten Program 5-day program for children ages 3–6, with half-day (8:30am–12:00pm, $17,910/yr) or extended care through 6:00pm, and a full-day kindergarten year ($25,390/yr). Focuses on exploration, discovery, and building independence.
• Elementary Program (Grades 1-6) Multi-aged Lower Elementary (Grades 1–3) and Upper Elementary (Grades 4–6) full-day program ($27,580/yr) covering transition from concrete to abstract thinking, mathematics, history, cultural studies, geography, natural science, writing, literature, foreign language, arts, and music.
• Specials (Art, Spanish, PE, Music, Reading) Formal lessons in Art, Spanish (starting in Kindergarten), weekly PE classes, and Music (keyboard, recorder, drums, xylophones, ukuleles), plus reading support, included within the school day.
• After-School Enrichment Programs Optional after-school enrichment offerings including music lessons (piano, clarinet, guitar/ukulele), Rainbow Club, LEGO engineering, Dungeons & Dragons, STEM, ballet, art, soccer, fiber arts, karate, drama, and nature programs. Separate fees from tuition.
• Extended Care (Before & After School) Before School Care from 7:45am ($790/yr) and After School Care through 6:00pm ($1,810–$9,160/yr depending on program level and pickup time), plus drop-in care and School's Out Camp on teacher workdays and breaks.
• Summer Camp Weekly themed summer camps for children ages 3 years through rising 7th grade, including art, cooking, drama, nature, science, theater, and Stay & Play options. Fees $215–$510 per week depending on camp and extended care.

Quantifiable outcome

• 24% of students receive financial aid, making education accessible to diverse families
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• moss+rosscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Executive search consulting firm specializing in nonprofit and educational organizations. Partner Dave Monaco leading the Head of School search process, including community focus groups, constituent surveys, candidate screening, and finalist evaluations.
• Clarity Financial AidcoreOthersFinancial aid assessment platform that processes family applications to determine demonstrated financial need based on assets, income, expenses, and debts. Provides standardized comparison for equitable financial aid decisions.
• Vault TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheatre company providing teaching artists for Musical Theatre Magic and drama camps at MSD. Teaching artists lead performing arts enrichment programs.
• Dragonfly Nature ProgramsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRachel Woods' nature education company providing Citizen Naturalist programs, Feathered Friends, Climate Sleuths, and Herbology camps. Also provides nature programs for Early Childhood students.
• Play-Well TEKnologiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering education company providing LEGO-based STEM programs. Wendy teaches Exploring LEGOS enrichment class focusing on physics, engineering, and architecture concepts.
• Soccer ShotsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChildren's soccer program providing weekly soccer enrichment classes during the school year and summer camp sessions.
• Guild of AdventuresminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDungeons & Dragons program provider led by Noah, offering after school and semester-long D&D enrichment for 3rd-6th graders.
• Le Petit BalletminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBallet dance instruction program providing weekly classes for Early Childhood and Kindergarten students during winter and spring seasons.
• Triangle Mutual AidminorOthersCommunity organization collaborating with MSD on Winter Food & Diaper Drive to support the greater Durham community.
• Diaper Bank of NCminorOthersNorth Carolina diaper bank partnering with MSD for community diaper drive initiatives.
• Porch DurhamminorOthersDurham-based food drive organization that MSD partners with for community food drives.
• Triangle Independent Schools Diversity Hiring FairminorOthersAnnual diversity hiring fair co-hosted with other Triangle independent schools to recruit talented educators of color for teaching and staff positions.
• Kids GardeningminorOthersNational gardening organization that awarded MSD Rainbow Club with GroMoreGood Grassroots Grant and Pride Specialty Award for garden work.
• Buddha Bee ApiaryminorOthersLocal beekeeping service that visits MSD campus for Upper Elementary beehive inspections as part of nature curriculum.
• STEM for KidsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShelby Jones leads STEM programs including Super Senses and Motion and Machine Makers enrichment classes for Early Childhood students.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Durham Academy: Premier Durham-area independent day school (PreK-12). Competes with MSD for Triangle-area tuition-paying families seeking private education, though its pedagogy is traditional college-prep rather than Montessori.
• Cary Academy: Independent college-prep day school in Cary, NC (PreK-12). Competes with MSD for Triangle-area families weighing private school options, but offers a traditional rather than Montessori curriculum and a full K-12 pathway.
• Ravenscroft School: Raleigh-based independent day school (PreK-12) competing with MSD for Triangle-area private school families. Larger and broader in grade span, but similar tuition band and nonprofit independent school structure.
• Guidepost Montessori: Large national Montessori organization operating many school campuses across the U.S. Comparable in Montessori pedagogy, multi-age classroom model, and tuition structure, but operates at significantly greater scale and as a for-profit entity.
• Carolina Friends School: Duke Park-based Durham independent private school covering early childhood through high school. Competes directly with MSD for Durham families seeking progressive, mission-driven K-12 alternatives, but extends through grade 12 and uses a Quaker-influenced (not Montessori) pedagogy.

Direct peers

• Greensboro Montessori School: Independent Montessori school in Greensboro, NC serving infant through middle school using the same AMS-aligned pedagogy, multi-age classrooms, and tuition-based nonprofit model as MSD. Closest geographic peer within North Carolina.
• Princeton Montessori School: Independent AMS-accredited Montessori school in Princeton, NJ serving infant through middle school. Comparable to MSD in AMS accreditation status, multi-age classroom model, and nonprofit tuition-driven structure.
• Whitby School: Independent Montessori school in Greenwich, CT serving infant through middle school with AMS accreditation. Closely matches MSD in program scope (early childhood through elementary), pedagogical model, and nonprofit independent structure.
• The Barrie School: Independent Montessori-inspired school in Silver Spring, MD serving toddlers through grade 12. Comparable in offering a full Montessori early childhood program with multi-age classrooms and a tuition-based nonprofit operating model.

Emerging players

• LePort Schools: Multi-campus Montessori-focused school operator in California and beyond. Comparable pedagogical model and tuition band, but operates as a for-profit chain with a more standardized curriculum than MSD's independent nonprofit structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCS40I62E3pLQhiQ9bHee2zQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/montessorischoolofdurham
• Instagraminstagram.com/montessorischoolofdurham
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/montessori-school-of-durham

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 Montessori School of Durham