PREMONT, Texas — The Case building next to the elementary school in Premont will be undergoing renovations over the next year so that it will become the home of the new Montessori Academy.
The district is beginning the program which eventually will include students all the way up to 5th grade.
"They are not losing their traditional elementary school that they've had for 100 years," Superintendent Steve VanMatre said.
"They're gaining an opportunity to go somewhere different and I think parents who have been frustrated with the academic performance of sending their kids to a traditional model will look really closely this opportunity."
VanMatre tells 3News that he is looking forward to the district's new Montessori plan. It begins in the fall of 2022 and will start with students from Pre-K to 1st grade. He believes that the first group of students will learn and grow in the program which has been in existence since the early 1900's.
"They are going to be trained from the moment they walk into the door to have some self-directed responsibilities towards their work and we're going to monitor that very, very closely, particularly in early stages so they do get their classroom procedures down," he added.
Kristina Lopez is the director for Premont's new Montessori curriculum. She said over the next year, she will be busy getting the program mapped out and ready for that first class. She believes it might help those students who struggle in the traditional classroom.
"It may be a C student who may be just trying to find their way out of there, you know, and by doing these activities, you know, they'll be an A student now," Lopez said. "Doesn't necessarily mean you're GT students or your A students. It's students who strive on creativity."
The Texas Education Agency is funding this innovative program for the first two years. This year, the district received $250,000 from the agency for planning purposes. In the second year, Premont ISD expects to receive $1.2 million in continuing funding to hire more teachers and to get them trained.
Beginning in year three, the district will be on its own to fund the program. The superintendent feels the investment in Montessori will help to continue to retain and attract more students to Premont ISD.
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