Accredited Montessori School in Palm Beach County
Palm Beach County has more than a million and a half residents spread across thirty-nine municipalities, and the number of preschools using the word "Montessori" runs well into the dozens. Very few of them are accredited schools with Montessori-certified teachers that have operated continuously under the same ownership for more than two decades.
Royal Palm Montessori Academy is. We opened in West Boca Raton in February 2000 and have taught in the same building ever since — twenty-six years. The family behind the school has worked in early childhood education since 1989.
How to evaluate a Montessori school in Palm Beach County
"Montessori" is not a protected designation in Florida. Any preschool can put it on a sign. If you are touring schools across the county, these four questions will sort the field quickly:
1. Are you accredited, and by whom? We hold Apple Accreditation through FACCM.
2. Are you licensed by the state? We are licensed by the Florida Department of Children and Families, license #50-51-00898.
3. Where were your teachers certified? Our teaching staff hold Montessori certification. Our owner/director, who has led the school since 1999, holds a BA from Harvard University, a master's degree from Nova Southeastern University, and Montessori certification. Our curriculum developer has taught here since 2000.
4. How long have your lead teachers been on staff? Several of ours have been in these classrooms since the school opened. Staff longevity is the single hardest thing for a new school to replicate, and the easiest thing for a family to verify.
Where our families come from
Our campus sits in West Boca Raton, near the Lyons Road and Palmetto Park Road corridor, which places us within a reasonable drive of much of the southern half of the county and the northern edge of Broward. We enroll families from:
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West Boca Raton — Loggers' Run, Boca Falls, Mission Bay, Boca Chase, Sandalfoot Cove, Whisper Walk, Boca Winds
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Delray Beach — Lake Ida, Rainberry Bay, Mizner Country Club, Kings Point, Hammock Reserve
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Boynton Beach — Canyon Lakes, Canyon Springs, Valencia communities, Boynton Lakes
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Highland Beach — the A1A/Ocean Boulevard corridor
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Broward border communities — Deerfield Beach, Coconut Creek, Coral Springs, Parklanda
The program
Our classrooms are organized into the five Montessori curriculum areas: Practical Life (pouring, buttoning, sweeping, food preparation — the foundation for concentration and hand control), Sensorial (materials isolating color, weight, shape, texture, size, sound, and smell), Language (letter sounds through handwriting preparation, vocabulary, and reading), Mathematics (concrete quantities before written numerals), and Science & Social Studies (botany, geography, and hands-on work in our school garden).
Around that core, students receive Spanish three times a week, art twice a week, weekly computer lab, physical education, and a moral character program covering kindness, responsibility, and citizenship. Optional extracurriculars include soccer through Soccer Shots, Kenpo Karate, and dance through Dynamite Dance Studio.
Classrooms are large and student-to-teacher ratios are small — both are operating requirements of the method rather than premium features.
VPK in Palm Beach County
​We participate in Florida's Voluntary Prekindergarten program. Palm Beach County families obtain a Certificate of Eligibility through the Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County and can use it at participating providers, including our school. Because VPK is state-administered, Broward County families can generally use their certificate here as well. We also work with families using Step Up For Students scholarships.
Children start at two
We enroll children beginning at age two, and academics, social skills, and manners begin right away. Our hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with the building in lockdown at 8:30 AM and 3:30 PM for student safety.
Schedule a tour
The only reliable way to evaluate a preschool is to stand in a classroom while children are working. We host tours Monday through Friday. Call (561) 483-3838 or email royalpalmmontessori@gmail.com.
Royal Palm Montessori Academy · 12532 Cobblestone Way, Boca Raton, FL 33428 · (561) 483-3838 · Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–6:00 PM
FAQs
Our campus is at 12532 Cobblestone Way in West Boca Raton, FL 33428, near the Lyons Road and Palmetto Park Road corridor.
We enroll families from West Boca Raton, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Highland Beach, and Boynton Beach, along with Broward border communities including Deerfield Beach, Coconut Creek, Coral Springs, and Parkland.
Apple Accreditation through FACCM, and Florida Department of Children and Families license #50-51-00898.
Apply through the Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County for a Certificate of Eligibility, then bring it to us. We will help you with the enrollment paperwork.
Since February 2000 — 26 years at one location under the same family, with several teachers on staff since the opening year.