Creo School

What Creo School does

Creo School is a private, founder-led AMI Montessori school operating from two campuses in Gilbert, Arizona. Founded in 2014 by Mariana Abelson, the school delivers bilingual (English/Spanish) Montessori education to children from 8 weeks through 18 years of age across six program levels: Nido (infants), Toddler House, Children's House, Elementary, Middle School, and High School. The Main Campus at 1475 S Higley Rd comprises a 24,500-square-foot facility with 12 learning environments serving children from birth through Grade 6, while the Creo Farm Campus at 21311 S Lindsay Rd is a 5-acre property hosting the adolescent program (Grades 7-12) with a working farm, maker space, and a student-run microeconomy branded Creo Farm Creations.

The educational product is built on the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) curriculum, delivered by AMI-trained guides with native Spanish-speaking assistants and faculty representing multiple Latin American countries and Spain. The Main Campus concentrates early-childhood and elementary programs, with low student-to-teacher ratios (up to 13 toddlers per environment, up to 26 children in Children's House), individualized pacing, and multi-day field-study excursions. The Farm Campus differentiates the adolescent program through authentic experiential learning, financial literacy via Creo Farm Creations, ACT/SAT preparation, and early college credit pathways with ASU and Chandler-Gilbert Community College. Creo School holds Cognia accreditation and Cognia STEM certification in addition to AMI recognition.

Revenue is generated through tuition payments across all program levels on annual or session-based billing cadence, supplemented by summer camps, after-school enrichment programs (Spanish, Cooking in Spanish, Soccer, Tumbling, Dance, Art) delivered by external providers, an optional Friday lunch program (Chick-fil-A), and school-branded merchandise sales. Financial accessibility is facilitated through the Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program, four Student Tuition Organization partners (Arizona Tuition Connection, Arizona Leader, IBE Scholarships, School Choice Arizona), and the Esperanza Charity Foundation for children under age 5. Enrollment is managed through campus tours, a waitlist system, and the Transparent Classroom application platform. The school currently serves 280+ students drawn primarily from Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, and Queen Creek, Arizona.

Name

Creo School

Legal name

Creo School

Website

https://creoschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Creo School is a private, founder-led AMI Montessori school in Gilbert, Arizona delivering bilingual (English/Spanish) education from infancy through Grade 12 across two campuses, including a farm-based adolescent program with a student-run microeconomy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Educational Services (611)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Montessori K–12 Schools (EDAJABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Montessori Preschools (EDACABAC), Language Immersion & Bilingual Private Schools (EDAJABAL)

Keywords

• Private education
• Montessori education
• Bilingual education
• Early childhood education
• K-12 education

Headquarters

HQ city

Gilbert

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition Payments: Annual and per-session tuition payments from enrolled families across Nido, Toddler House, Children's House, Elementary, and Adolescent programs
2. Summer Programs: Summer camp programs for various age groups including Nido/Toddler/Children's House summer sessions and Elementary Summer Camp
3. Enrichment Programs: After-school enrichment including Spanish, Cooking in Spanish, Soccer, Super Soccer Stars, Tumbling, Tippi Toes Dance, and Art classes offered by external providers
4. Friday Lunch Program: Optional lunch program featuring Chick-fil-A and pizza options, ordered weekly through the school
5. Merchandise Sales: School merchandise including logo apparel, iron-on decals, and specialty items sold through theCreo Shop

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Creo School operates a private Montessori school delivering AMI-accredited, Spanish-English bilingual education to children from 8 weeks old through grade 12 across two campuses in Gilbert, Arizona. The school sells enrollment in level-based programs (Nido, Toddler House, Children's House, Elementary, Middle School, High School) and ancillary paid offerings including summer programs, enrichment classes, and a lunch program.

Product overview

Creo School is an internationally recognized, bilingual Montessori school offering a comprehensive educational ecosystem from infancy (8 weeks) through high school (age 18). The school operates across two campuses: the Main Campus (24,500 sq ft, 12 learning environments) serving children from birth through 6th grade with programs including Nido, Toddler House, Children's House, and Elementary; and the Creo Farm Campus (5-acre property) serving middle and high school students. The product portfolio centers on AMI Montessori education with core programs at each developmental stage, supplemented by enrichment offerings including after-school Spanish, soccer, tumbling, dance, and art classes. Unique to the adolescent program is a hands-on microeconomy where students participate in the Creo Farm Creations student-run business. Additional revenue streams include summer programs, Friday lunch catering, and a school merchandise shop.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Creo Farm Creations: Student-run microeconomy business at the Farm Campus where students design, produce, and sell farm-based products and handmade goods while learning entrepreneurship.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students consistently perform above national average across all tested subjects on standardized assessments
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Arizona Department of Education (ADE) - ESA ProgramcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Universal Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program opened late 2022, available to all private school students over age 5 in Arizona. Application process opens May 2026 for the next school year. Enables families to redirect state education funds to cover private school tuition.
• Esperanza Charity FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNon-profit organization that holds events and sells merchandise to raise funds benefiting Creo School students under the age of 5. Provides scholarship opportunities for families with young children. Application process requires submission with 2024 tax return to [email protected].
• Arizona Tuition Connection (ATC)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerStudent Tuition Organization offering corporate, non-corporate, and tax credit scholarships for students ages 5 and older. Conducts Tax Credit Sessions at Creo Main Campus. Helps families redirect state tax dollars to cover private school tuition through STO organizations.
• Arizona LeadermajorGTM or Marketing PartnerStudent Tuition Organization providing scholarship opportunities including Corporate/Low Income, Non-Corporate, and Tax Credit scholarships for private school students.
• IBE ScholarshipsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerStudent Tuition Organization offering scholarship programs for private school tuition assistance including corporate and tax credit scholarships.
• School Choice Arizona (SCA)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerStudent Tuition Organization providing scholarship opportunities including corporate-low income qualified scholarships for students meeting specific eligibility criteria such as transfer from public school, kindergarten enrollment, or military dependent status.
• Soccer Stars and Amazing Athletes of Phoenix East-ValleyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternal soccer coaching provider delivering after-school soccer program for Creo students grades 1-6. Provides trained coaches for Spirit League soccer teams with practices on-site and games against neighboring schools.
• Tumble TownminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTumbling enrichment provider offering weekly classes for toddlers and Children's House students. Uses vault, bars, beam, tumbling mats and padded geometric training aids. Coaches work under supervision of former ASU gymnastics team assistant coach Mike Strauss.
• Tippi Toes DanceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDance enrichment program teaching ballet, tap and jazz technique. Holds two dance recitals per year. Provides before/after-school dance instruction at Creo campus.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Chandler Preparatory Academy: Great Hearts-affiliated charter in Chandler serving grades K–12; positioned as a tuition-free classical alternative to Creo's AMI Montessori model in the same East Valley catchment area.
• Phoenix Country Day School: Independent private K–12 school in Paradise Valley serving the Phoenix metro; comparable in mission (college-prep, premium tuition, full child-through-teen pipeline) and competes for the same affluent East Valley family pool.
• Great Hearts Academies: Multi-campus classical education charter network headquartered in Arizona with campuses throughout the Phoenix metro including Chandler; competes with Creo for families seeking a structured, non-Montessori private-style education in the same geographies.
• Seton Catholic Preparatory: Catholic private high school in Chandler with a middle-school feeder; overlaps with Creo's adolescent and high-school programs and competes for college-bound families in the same Gilbert/Chandler corridor.
• Gilbert Christian Schools: Private Christian K–12 school located in Gilbert; competes head-to-head with Creo for faith-oriented and college-prep families in the immediate Gilbert market at a similar price tier.
• Xavier College Preparatory: Large Catholic private K–12 school in Phoenix; comparable in scale, college-prep orientation, and tuition tier, and serves a similar premium-seeking demographic across the East Valley and greater Phoenix.
• Archway Classical Academy: Great Hearts-network K–5 (and feeder middle) classical charter with multiple East Valley campuses including Chandler and Gilbert; competes for families seeking structured, non-Montessori private-style education at no tuition.

Broad incumbents

• BASIS Charter Schools: A large Arizona-based charter network known for STEM rigor and high academic outcomes; competes with Creo for academically oriented East Valley families seeking premium private alternatives and represents the dominant scaled incumbent in the region.

Direct peers

• Desert Garden Montessori: AMI-affiliated Montessori school operating in the Phoenix metro with programs serving early childhood and elementary; competes directly with Creo for AMI Montessori families in the East Valley on curriculum philosophy and methodology.
• International School of Arizona: Phoenix-area private school offering language immersion programs (including Spanish) from early childhood through elementary; most direct comparable on the bilingual-immersion dimension within the same metro area.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Creo School