MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — Despite only being a couple of months into its inaugural school term, plans are already in place to expand the Montessori Academy at the Early Learning Center next year.

The early childcare partnership between Georgia College and the Baldwin County School District is looking to either add a state-funded pre-K class or convert an existing state-funded pre-K class to Montessori curriculum, thus giving families a no-cost Montessori option in Baldwin County. The local Montessori program currently has about 55 students and offers classes for children from ages six weeks to 5 years old.

“We have discussed … next year as far as expanding the Montessori program … going to move a Georgia pre-K class into the Montessori section of the building so that we will have a free option for parents whose children are age-eligible for Georgia pre-K,” said Early Learning Center (ELC) Director Lori Smith at Monday evening’s lengthy Baldwin County Board of Education work session.

She went on to give the reason for the expansion, saying they want to give parents a free option to keep their children in the Montessori curriculum rather than remove them from the program in favor of a state-funded program.

“We had come to the conclusion that we were going to have a lot of parents coming into Montessori and then going out of Montessori for a free option and then possibly coming back into Montessori and we didn’t want that,” Smith said. “So we are going to apply for a class from the [Georgia] Department of Early Care and Learning, but we have a backup plan to move a class should that not happen.”

Georgia’s free pre-K program is administered through the Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL), and it’s not always easy to get funding for an additional classroom. DECAL looks at a variety of factors in each county throughout the state in determining whether a program will receive additional funding. Existing classes are also evaluated based on roster counts, as programs are expected to keep each classroom as close to full as possible (22 students). The ELC director said there are currently nine children in the Montessori program who would be eligible for Georgia’s pre-K next year, making the prospective class almost half full already.

“I fear that we will probably not get funded,” Smith told the board and district personnel Monday. “There are lots of classes in Milledgeville and they’ve closed some recently because they haven’t been able to keep those full. I’m afraid that we may not get funded, so we have a contingency plan, which is to just move a class. That’s our plan for expansion.”

Smith told The Union-Recorder Tuesday morning that she has already reached out to the state in regards to converting an existing ELC class to the Montessori curriculum and was told it would be all right to do so in the case of additional funding not being received.

Also discussed Monday were plans that not only would expand Montessori at the ELC, but also up through the elementary grades. 

“The concept for expanding the Montessori program to the primary schools would be that we would identify one or two teachers that would keep those kids for three years,” said Baldwin County Schools Superintendent Dr. Noris Price. “They would move with those students and stay K-2 with them. Then, when they go to our academies, that teacher would stay with them third through fifth. We’re excited about that, and Georgia College is ready to help with that expansion. They see that as a tremendous recruiting tool for them, and of course a nice benefit for their employees as well as ours.”

Price said that Lakeview Primary Principal Tracy Clark has already volunteered her school to host the Montessori program in the future. Smith added that the Montessori program has added about 10 students since the start of the school year, and that the program is in the unique of holding spots for future students who are yet to be born. 

Georgia College and the public school system formally entered into this unique partnership earlier this year. The school district’s ELC building had space for additional kids, and the college was looking for childcare options for its employees as well as learning opportunities for future teachers. The Montessori program is staffed by GC who also hired a director though the entire building is still overseen by Smith. Georgia College and school district employees were given priority registration before it opened up to the public. Price commended Smith and the Montessori staff for the way the program has gone in its first year.

“I just want to say that Mrs. Smith has done an incredible job,” the superintendent said. “When I think about a year ago when we talked about launching this and making it happen — I have to say that I commend her because she’s been making it happen along with her staff. I’m very appreciative and I think the program is going extremely well. The feedback has been positive and Georgia College is very pleased.”