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Okemos board hears plan to shore up Montessori program, recommends prioritizing a Montessori-capable elementary in bond planning
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Summary
Superintendent Hood presented a multi-stakeholder review showing high enrollment at preK–4 but declining 5–8 participation; the board heard short-term strategies to boost secondary Montessori enrollment and a recommendation to prioritize a new Montessori-capable elementary in long-range bond planning.
Superintendent Hood told the Okemos Board that the district's Montessori program remains a strength but faces enrollment drop-off in middle grades, prompting both short-term strategies and a long-range facilities recommendation.
Hood summarized a committee review that drew parents, teachers, administrators and students. "Our Montessori program has been in place now for over 20 years," Hood said, noting strong academic outcomes and a tight preK–4 capacity with waiting lists. The presenter showed enrollment charts indicating about 95% fill at preK–4 while grades 5–6 were approximately 70–75% and 7–8 rose to about 70% this year after an uptick to 89 students.
Board discussion identified two primary reasons families cited for leaving at the 5–8 transition: families wanting to move students to the traditional setting before high school, and social reasons tied to friends outside the program. Hood described pilot strategies for 2025–26 — including allowing a small number of students without prior Montessori experience into 5–8 after meetings with staff and administrators and increased family outreach about transition impacts — and pledged to monitor results this winter and spring. "We talked to staff last year about allowing students to come in that didn't have Montessori experience," Hood said; early onboarding for two recent entrants was reported as successful.
For longer-term action, Hood recommended the district prioritize a new Montessori-capable elementary as a "big rock" in future bond planning rather than a standalone Montessori-only bond. The proposal would include identifying potential sites and forming a subcommittee to vet options; Hood said any bond would also address other district facility needs. Trustees asked about staffing, phased growth and location options; Hood suggested controlled, year-by-year expansion starting at preK–K to avoid a sudden staffing surge.
The board asked administrators to continue outreach to local Montessori feeder programs, monitor the pilot admissions, and return with updated data and recommendations as part of long-range facilities planning.
Next steps include continued monitoring through the winter and a report back to the board on the 5–8 pilot results and a recommendation for bond planning timelines.
