FAQs

No. We are a free, public charter school.

Charter schools are authorized by the state as public schools independent from school districts. They use taxpayer funding and follow most of the same laws that district schools follow. Charter schools’ independence from districts allows them to innovate and offer curriculum and programing options not available in other public schools

1. Our curriculum. Believe it or not, most schools do not have a knowledge curriculum. They have a skills-based curriculum, based only on bland state standards and missing much of the historical and cultural knowledge we hope our children learn in schools. At Monticello Academy–in conjunction with state standards–we use the Core Knowledge curriculum, which exposes students to a history and culture-rich, cross-disciplinary curriculum starting in kindergarten. We also value a well-rounded education, with excellent programs for all students the arts, music, computer science, and physical education.

2. Our values. We believe in the traditional American traits of hard work and strong moral character. We are a community that a focus on high academic expectations goes hand in hand with high expectations for behavior and character.

We believe a strong Computer Science background can set our students up for success in the 21st century economy. Our students learn everything from the basics of computer applications to more advanced coding techniques in Python and C++.

Monticello Academy currently offers all the students the opportunity for full day kindergarten. Half-day kindergarten can also be an option for families. Talk with an administrator to learn more.

Monticello Academy has an award-winning athletics department. Currently Monticello Academy fields teams in boys and girls volleyball, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, cross country, and track and field. To find out more about our athletics department and our club sports program, click here.

All parents are asked to donate at least 40 hours of volunteer time per family. This can be accomplished by helping teachers, volunteering during arrival and dismissal time, participating in the Parent Organization, and many other opportunities. This is our community honor agreement. Students of parents who do not fulfill this commitment will not be disenrolled.

Multiple studies (here and here, for example) have found that school uniforms help improve academic performance. Uniforms can contribute to a more focused learning environment with fewer student discipline problems, increased attendance, and even better teacher retention.

Monticello Academy Highbury enrolls about 78 students in each grade level. The total enrollment is around 702 at Highbury, and is increasing each year at West Point until it will reach 780 when full grown. Openings each year are dependent on transfers and the number of kindergarten students that are enrolled.

Monticello Academy West Point’s enrollment is expanding as the school grows, bringing in new kindergarten students every year and opening more elementary level spots on a year-by-year basis. For more information about the specific amount of openings at the West Point or Highbury locations, contact us at 801-417-8040.