1. Admission Requirements

    1. Collective Montessori School (CMS) is open to all students in the state of Wisconsin. Application to and attendance at CMS is voluntary and no tuition is charged for the school day. Students who do not wish to attend or are not admitted to CMS can attend their neighborhood school.

    2. Parents/guardians will enroll their children by a written (online or paper) registration form. Enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year opens on December 2, 2024 and closes on February 4, 2025. A parent/guardian is encouraged to attend one open house or tour to assure understanding of the Montessori Philosophy and culture and climate of the school.

    3. If the number of applicants exceeds available positions, a lottery will be held. Students that are not admitted during the lottery will be added to a waiting list.

    4. Students may enroll and attend CMS during the school year as space permits in accordance with the above guidelines until October 1. If enrolling after October 1, it is recommended that the student’s family attends an orientation conference with the Program Director and classroom guide in order to understand the Montessori Philosophy and culture and climate of the school. After October 1, the waitlist no longer applies and students with Montessori experience will be given preference. 

  2. Lottery Process for CMS

    1. Enrollment in CMS for the 2025-2026 school year, will be accepted as listed below:

      1. K3 - 7 students

      2. K4 - 16 students

      3. K5 - 20 students

      4. 1st grade - 16 students

      5. 2nd grade - 20 students

      6. 3rd grade - 14 students

      7. 4th grade - 18 students

      8. 5th grade - 16 students

      9. 6th grade - 16 students

      10. 7th grade - 12 students

      11. 8th grade -  10 students

    2. Once a student is accepted into CMS, he/she/they will automatically be enrolled from year to year, unless the student is unenrolled. He/she/they do not have to go through the lottery process each year.

    3. A student who withdraws and later wishes to enroll again will need to reapply and will have no priority over students applying for the first time.

    4. If more applicants apply than the number of seats available in a grade level, the additional applicants will be placed on a waiting list in order in which their names were drawn. The waiting list does not roll over from year to year. 

    5. Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, siblings of current CMS students will receive enrollment preference and will be exempt from the lottery if space in that grade level is available. If space is not available, siblings will be given priority on the waiting list. “Current” students refers to those attending for the 2025-2026 school year at CMS. 

    6. The Governance Board, in agreement with the CMS Administration, has the authority to accept more students per grade than what is outlined in II.A. and/or open up enrollment at certain grade levels if necessary to reach the targeted enrollment of students for the 2025-2026 school year. 

    7. Special needs of students will be met according to the goals of their IEP (Individualized Education Program). CMS will provide needed special education services as appropriate.

    8. If a lottery is necessary, all families will be notified. The lottery will be announced and open to the public.

  3. Lottery Procedures:

    1. Students’ names will be listed on a roster in alphabetical order and by grade. Students will be assigned a number in order of the names.

    2. The selection process will begin with the highest grade first. The numbers for that grade will be placed in a bin.

    3. Numbers will be drawn for available seats. The order they were selected will be documented for view at the meeting. Once a grade level is filled, the process will continue to fill the waiting list for that grade. Students will be placed on the waiting list based on the order that they were drawn.

    4. Younger and same grade siblings will be admitted once a student’s number is selected for enrollment. If the grade level is already full, the sibling(s) will be placed first on the waiting list for that grade level.

    5. Once the drawing for a grade level is complete, that grade level’s waiting list is set.

    6. If students apply after the deadline, they are added to the waitlist on a first come, first served basis. 

Approved by the Collective Montessori School Governance Board: December 17, 2024


25-26 CMS Admissions and Lottery

The 25-26 CMS Lottery will be held on Tuesday, February 11, at 1:00 PM. The lottery is held virtually and open to the public. You can join the lottery here:

Google Meet joining info

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/xbz-bsru-azv

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 386-866-5463‬ PIN: ‪170 827 555‬#