Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Programs Montessori topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parents, PTO protest Kingston board’s June 4 decision to end Montessori program at George Washington Elementary
Summary
Several parents and PTO representatives told the Kingston City School District board during public comment that the June 4 decision to end the Montessori program at George Washington Elementary School was based on incorrect data and lacked public input; they urged reinstatement, release of a consultant report and classroom-level performance data.
Members of the Kingston City School District Board of Education heard multiple public commenters formally protest the board’s June 4 decision to end the Montessori program at George Washington Elementary School (GW) and asked the board to reinstate classrooms and release underlying reports.
The protest came during the board’s public comment period, when a letter signed by PTO leaders and parents was read into the record and multiple speakers urged the board to reverse the June 4 decision or at least preserve four Montessori classrooms this fall. “We are formally protesting the decision of the Board of Education on June 4 to end the Montessori program at George Washington Elementary School,” a PTO representative said, asking that the board release the consultant report authored by Elizabeth Slate and publish classroom-level performance data for GW.
The commenters said the June 4 justification relied on inaccurate cost and staffing figures. One parent disputed a superintendent’s statement that GW spent $2,000 more per pupil than other schools, saying a CPA’s review showed that when Montessori coach, consultant, and training costs for 43 teachers are included the asserted $2,000 figure still left GW as the least-funded school in the district. “Even after adding that $2,000, GW spent over $13,000 less per pupil than Meyer Elementary,” a speaker said, characterizing the reporting as “100% false.” The parent added that comparisons between GW and JFK are misleading because JFK does not have a preschool program while GW does and receives Universal Pre-K funding for additional teaching assistants.
Speakers asked the board to commit to a full, inclusive review of the causes of challenges facing the Montessori program, to release the full text of Elizabeth Slate’s consultant report, and to show performance data by classroom rather than only schoolwide. Several commenters argued that Montessori at GW has long community roots and enrollment demand; one speaker said more than 76 students had opted into GW programs.
Some speakers urged the board to keep GW’s Children’s House program intact, noting that the program is open to all students and receives state funding. Commenters framed the decision as a breach of promises made during the 2025–26 budget process, saying the budget had been approved by voters under the understanding that Montessori would continue.
The board did not take a vote on any motion related to the Montessori program during this meeting. Public commenters repeatedly requested an inclusive, public review process and the release of the consultant’s findings; they warned that the community might pursue litigation if the board did not restore the program.
No board member action on reinstatement was recorded in the transcript of this meeting; speakers characterized the June 4 action as the formal decision to end the program and asked the board to revisit that decision.
The public comment period is constrained by board rules and state and federal privacy laws that prevent discussion of certain personnel or student matters in this forum, as the board reiterated at the start of the comment period.
