Montessori school in Pullman could be shut down

Pullman’s first and only charter school could be shut down.

The Washington State Charter School Commission has initiated a process to revoke the Pullman Community Montessori’s charter. The decision was made during a special meeting in Olympia, Wash., on Friday afternoon.

Jessica de Barros, executive director of the commission, said it has received 43 complaints about the Montessori in Pullman since January. An investigation was initiated later that month, and through the intensive process numerous violations were found.

She said the commission will issue a notice to revoke the Montessori, which the school has a month to respond to. The board will review materials and issue a draft resolution to revoke or not revoke its contract, and the school then has 20 days to appeal the resolution.

An appeal would go through a hearing, and them the commission would take final action, she added.

Attention was first drawn to the school at the beginning of 2024 when around 30 Montessori families called for new leadership, better communication and additional changes. They expressed concern over several issues, including student safety, financial stability, high staff turnover and more.

The Montessori in Pullman was opened in 2021 and has grown to about 100 students from kindergarten through seventh grade. It was planning to expand to ninth grade next year.

The school began to lose enrollment in January. It began the school year with 113 students in August and is now at 89, de Barros said.

After a lengthy investigation, the commission found the Montessori was not financially viable and is “deficient” in safety compliance, according to documents attached with the meeting agenda.

The school has insufficient funds, de Barros said, and not enough cash on hand. She said, as of Friday, the school had only enough cash to operate for 21 days, while a school at its third year of operation should have 60 days of cash on hand.

The Montessori was also in violation of student safety requirements, she said. The commission heard a number of complaints including severe student bullying, unsafe behavior that interrupts the education environment and students feeling fearful for their safety.

The commission also criticized what it called a lack of board oversight. Multiple instances were reported by staff feeling as if their job would be put at risk if negative information about the school was made public, according to the documents. Many parents described feeling threatened when reporting safety issues. And examples were noted about school administration changing students’ excused absences to unexcused.

Other issues included the school missing deadlines to submit paperwork to the commission and changes to the educational program terms without consultation, according to the documents.

Many tuned into the meeting. It gathered around 100 online viewers and a few traveled to attend in person. About 30 people commented, and the majority of the comments were heartfelt in support of the school.

The Montessori method of education, named after Italian physician Maria Montessori early in the 20th century, focuses on children’s natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods.

The Pullman version was certified in 2020 and opened at the Gladish Community and Cultural Center the next year. It started with around 70 students and now offers kindergarten through seventh grade. The charter school is an independently operated public school that receives federal and state funding.

Olive Francis, a seventh grader, and her family traveled to Olympia to comment. She said she loves going to the Montessori and it’s better than traditional school. She added her grades were lower when she went to public school and it would be hard going back.

Audri Baker, a sixth grader, said the charter school is better than public school. She added she’s often been above grade level and wanted to learn more outside of what was being taught, and can do that at the Montessori.

Niki Jones, a Montessori parent, said her children are neurodiverse and have thrived since attending the charter school. She added her children were bullied by other students, teachers and administration but since transferring they have been able to thrive and become leaders.

Katie Kendrick, an instructional assistant, said she’s been a staff member at the Montessori for the past three years and has witnessed nothing but incredible dedication to the students. She said the school serves students who are typically left behind by traditional models, because there’s a great need for that type of education in Pullman.

“Revoking the charter would be a great disservice to the children in our area,” Kendrick said. “I believe in the school, we just need time to implement changes … in order to reach our full potential.”

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com