Frequently Asked Questions
Isn’t Montessori just for young kids?
Not at all. Many people know most about Montessori schools for young children, as that is a common age for Montessori schools. Montessori is a wonderful approach and amazingly successful for those ages! However, hands on and active learning continues to be a critical element for children far beyond their 5th year. In fact, Montessori approaches are credited with inspiring the creativity of many current CEOs. Look at the comments of employers today; what they desire are creative, independently motivated thinkers. Therefore, colleges now often list flexible programs with independent learning projects. The Hillsboro School offers this experience to students while they are still in high school.
What about testing? Will the Hillsboro School prepare students for high stakes tests?
Students at The Hillsboro School are high achievers. While we do not focus on testing or “teaching to the test,” standardized test taking skills and strategies is one genre of learning that we teach our students. We want our students to succeed in all areas. High students take a class entitled “College Preparation” and part of this curriculum is focused on improving their standardized test taking skills.
What about cost? Are there any scholarships available?
While every attempt is made to keep our tuition as low as possible, the Hillsboro School is dedicated to keeping our classes small to ensure very close learning relationships between teachers and students. We are pleased to offer financial aid for 1st - 12th grade on an as-needed basis.
Are you accredited?
We are currently in the accreditation process and are members of the Alabama Independent School Association, the American Montessori Society and the International Montessori Council. We hold our faculty and staff to a high standard as we go through the accreditation process.
This is not a problem for your child’s advancement to college. Colleges/universities have a wide array of factors to evaluate for student admission: coursework, standardized test scores, letters of reference, written essays, personal interview, etc. We have personally spoken with large and small, public and private colleges and each has assured us that having accreditation is not required for your student to be accepted.