Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Ketchum private school expands campus

Pioneer Montessori purchases adjacent Stallard Building

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By EXPRESS STAFF

Pioneer Montessori School has purchased the Stallard Building, adjacent to the north of the main school facility on Second Avenue in Ketchum. The nonprofit school, which serves students age 18 months through sixth grade, reported in a press release that the building will be retrofitted to create "an environmentally friendly, unified campus opening in fall 2009." Courtesy photo by Caroline Woodham

Pioneer Montessori School on Second Avenue in Ketchum has purchased the adjacent Stallard Building to consolidate its campus in preparation for expansion of the private school's operation.

Pioneer Montessori serves students 18 months of age through sixth grade and currently has a student population of 112. The school announced in a press release that it will retrofit the Stallard Building, immediately to the north of the main administration building, for offices and classrooms by next fall.

"A single unified campus best serves Pioneer Montessori School's growing student body and classroom needs," said Head of School Liza Weeks. "Pioneer Montessori School is now strongly positioned to extend Montessori education to more children and families in this community."

Pioneer Montessori was established in Ketchum in 1980. Its educational philosophy follows the teachings of Maria Montessori "to foster the intellectual, social, physical, emotional and spiritual development of each student."

The school press release states that "elementary students receive a broad education that exceeds all state requirements. Students consistently score greater in reading, language arts and mathematics than the Blaine County School District mean, and every fourth-grade student in 2008 scored at least two grades higher in all three of the assessed academic disciplines."

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The school started out in a one-room cabin. In 2006 it refitted the main campus building for administrative space and classrooms for students 18 months through kindergarten.

The school rents space at Trail Creek Village for students in grades one through six, but plans to move all operations to the consolidated campus for the start of next school year.

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"While the split operation has sustained the school for three years, increased enrollment and a single campus have been top of mind for several years," said Art Daves, school board president.

Purchase of the Stallard Building and funds for building classrooms and offices were made possible by a loan from Mountain West Bank.

Terry Smith: tsmith@mtexpress.com