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Island Village Montessori highlights arts and Montessori approach as school-grade rebounds to A
Summary
Island Village Montessori presented its renewal materials, emphasizing a Montessori, arts-rich approach, recovery after hurricane and COVID setbacks, and recent rise from a B to an A; district staff flagged ESE performance data as an area for continued work.
Island Village Montessori leaders told the school board on Jan. 7 that the tuition‑free K–8 public charter in North Venice combines Montessori instructional methods with a comprehensive arts program and reported a rebound to an A school grade in the most recent accountability cycle.
Head of School Jennifer O’Connor said Island Village has operated since 2001 and enrolls about 527 students. The school emphasized hands-on, child-centered Montessori instruction in primary grades transitioning to project-based and constructivist learning in middle school, where students can take accelerated courses for high-school credit. Leaders described community partnerships, a robust parent‑teacher council and campus improvements funded in part by grants and ESSER money, including a PE pavilion used for outdoor learning.
O’Connor and her team said staffing and campus damage after recent hurricanes and the COVID period created operational strain but that rebuilding and community support helped the school recover. The presentation noted consistent strengths in social studies and arts performance and flagged math and reading in lower quartiles as focus areas for continued work.
District staff noted Island Village previously was identified for targeted support on ESE measures and encouraged continued use of district academic tools and impact-review support; the district offered to assist with ESE performance and bottom-quartile interventions. Board members asked about Montessori alignment with state standards and ESE implementation; Island Village leaders explained Montessori materials and practices and said ESE services and contracted specialists (speech, OT, psychologists) are provided to meet IEPs and 504 plans.
The Charter Review Committee’s preliminary review found no major compliance findings and noted Island Village’s strong community engagement and long-running success. The committee will complete its renewal recommendation for board action in spring.
