Welcome to City Garden Montessori School’s Admissions Information Page! Please be aware, City Garden contains two core programs;
1. A private, tuition-based Preschool (Primary) Program, which offers financial aid to eligible families.
2. A free, public Kindergarten through Eighth grade Charter School.
The admissions process is different for each of these two programs. To begin the admissions process for our Preschool (Primary) Program, please click the button below.
To begin the admissions process for our Charter School, please click the button below.
Prospective preschool (primary) students must be fully potty trained by the first day of school. At City Garden, we define being potty trained as follows;
1. Students must be able to initiate going to the bathroom;
2. Students must be able to independently adjust clothing necessary to urinate or have a bowel movement, and therefore must be capable of wiping;
3. Students may not wear a pull-up or diaper, even at nap time.
If a student exhibits these behaviors at home, but is unable to exhibit them at school, the child may not be eligible to continue school at City Garden until the behaviors are otherwise addressed.
Additionally, preschool (primary) students must turn 3 years old by July 31, 2024 in order to be eligible for enrollment in the 2024-25 school year (next year). Students must turn 3 years old by July 31, 2023 in order to be eligible for enrollment in the 2023-24 school year (current year).
City Garden's Preschool (Primary) Program is tuition based. However, tuition at City Garden is dependent upon a family's size and income. This means we offer discounted-tuition for low income families. Please click the button below to review our Income Level Calculator to determine your income level. Your income level will either fall into Income Level A, B, C, or D.
Once you have determine your income level, you can click the button below to determine the tuition fees assigned to each income level.
The process to apply for Financial Aid takes place after a family has been accepted. Families will then be asked to fill out a Financial Aid Form, as well as a State Subsidy Form.
Once you have determined if your family is eligible for enrollment, it’s time to submit an application! All applications to the Preschool (Primary) Program require a $25 non-refundable application fee. However, families can request a fee waiver in the application if paying the fee is a challenge. In the application, you must provide the following documentation:
1. A copy of your student’s Original Birth Certification (we do not accept copies of copies)
2. Immunization Records of the Student Applicant (we accept copies or faxes)
3. 2 Proofs of Residence
• We accept any of the following: gas bill, electric bill, water bill, sewer bill, landline phone bill, cable bill, mortgage bill, voter registration card, or lease agreement.
• We DO NOT accept any of the following: medical bills, “junk mail,” or cell phone bills.
4. An official form of identification for the parent/guardian
The deadline to submit an application to our Preschool (Primary) Program is March 1, 2024. Applicants will be informed of their acceptance the week of March 18, 2024. You may contact our Admissions Office to ensure you have completed all necessary steps and submitted all necessary information for the admissions phase.
Phone Line - (314) 664-7646
Fax Number - (314) 664-4997 (Fax)
Email Address - admissions@citygardenschool.org
Also, we note the following information regarding proration/reimbursement of tuition. While City Garden will prorate tuition for preschool families in the event of an unanticipated closure (i.e. COVID-19 exposures/classroom shutdowns), City Garden does not prorate or discount tuition for preschool families for scheduled school calendar breaks (i.e. Thanksgiving, Winter Break, Spring Break, etc.). These dates are built into our competitive tuition rates, and considered when coming up with fair rates for our program.
To be eligible for admission in our Charter School, families must live in the City of St. Louis. However, because City Garden is a neighborhood school that strives to create a racially and socio-economically diverse environment, we admit students based the following criteria.
1. Students currently attending City Garden's Charter School (guaranteed admission)
2. Siblings of students attending the Charter School
3. Children of current City Garden employees
4. Children who are eligible for Free or Reduced Lunch (FRL) and reside in the City of St. Louis. The number of FRL eligible students admitted will be determined annually in order to achieve City Garden’s goal of having 50% FRL students schoolwide and in each grade level. Preference among FRL eligible students will be given in the following order:
1. Children who are eligible for Free or Reduced Lunch and reside in the Catchment 1.
2. Children who are eligible for Free or Reduced Lunch and reside in the Catchment 2.
3. Children who are eligible for Free or Reduced Lunch and reside in the Catchment 3.
After the Free or Reduced Lunch preference percentage goal of at least 50% is achieved for a grade level, the remaining applicants shall be combined (both those that qualify for FRL and those who do not) into one list for consideration for admission. Children will be admitted in the following order:
1. Children living within Catchment 1.
2. Children living within Catchment 2.
3. Children living within Catchment 3.
Additionally, Additionally, Kindergarten students must be 5 years old by July 31, 2024 in order to be eligible for enrollment in the 2024-25 school year. Kindergarten students must be 5 years old by July 31, 2023 in order to be eligible for enrollment in the 2023-24 school year.
At City Garden, the term “catchment" is utilized to explain a specific, geographic region of the City of St. Louis. We have broken the City of St. Louis into three Catchments.
1. Catchment 1 is a region of St. Louis City that can be drawn by connecting the following intersections/overlapping roadways;
1. Highway 40/Interstate 64 and Grand Boulevard
2. Grand Boulevard and Magnolia Avenue
3. Magnolia Avenue and Kingshighway Boulevard
4. Kingshighway Boulevard to Highway 40/Interstate
2. Catchment 2 is a region of St. Louis City that can be drawn by connecting the following intersections/overlapping roadways;
1. Grand Boulevard and Highway 40/Interstate 64
2. Highway 40/Interstate 64 and Compton Avenue
3. Compton Avenue and Gravois Avenue
4. Gravois Avenue and Kingshighway Boulevard
5. Kingshighway Boulevard and Arsenal Street
6. Arsenal Street and Grand Boulevard.
3. Catchment 3 is the remaining area of the St. Louis City.
We have created an interactive map that folks can use to determine their catchment.
1. First, click the button below.
2. Then, locate the magnifying glass icon in the top, left-hand corner of the screen.
3. Then, select the magnifying glass icon and key in your address.
4. Once your address appears on the map, determine if your address appears in the red, blue, or yellow regions;
a. If your address appears in the red region, you live in Catchment 1.
b. If your address appears in the blue region, you live in Catchment 2.
c. If your address appears in the yellow region, you live in the City of St. Louis outside of the first two catchments.
d. If your address does not appear in red, blue, or yellow region, your family is not eligible for enrollment.
Once you have determined if your family is eligible for enrollment, it’s time to submit an application! To submit an application, please click the button below. In the application, you must provide the following documentation:
1. Parent/Guardians Drivers License (or official ID)
2. Two different forms of proof of residence
3. The student's birth certificate
We will then conduct the Lottery for our Charter School on March 14, 2024 and accept the first round of students for the 2024-25 school year.
For questions, please contact our Admissions Office.
Phone Line - (314) 664-7646
Fax Number - (314) 664-4997 (Fax)
Email Address - admissions@citygardenschool.org