Updated 6/17: Montessori Program

MONTESSORI UPDATE 6/17/25  

During the June 4 Board of Education meeting, the board voted 8-1 to discontinue the Montessori program at George Washington Elementary School (GW) starting in the 2025-2026 school year.  

Since 2007, the Kingston City School District (KCSD) has dedicated significant financial and human resources to the Montessori program in an effort to provide a variety of educational opportunities for our students across the district. While we recognize the passion and dedication of our staff and families involved in this program, we have found that, despite these efforts, the program has consistently not met the state standards.

In 2022-2023 KCSD was chosen, along with 17 other school districts, to participate in a New York State Education Department (NYSED) grant funded initiative, the Resource Allocation Review. This initiative was guided by NYSED and is overseen by Ulster BOCES. The data used to determine KCSD Resource Allocation consists of instructional costs only, which is a different and more detailed calculation than what’s shown in the NYSED transparency report on the NYSED Data page.

Through this initiative, it was determined that there are inequities in the district’s school-to-school allocation of funding per pupil. Below are some of the findings: 

• GW per-pupil spending is $3,255 higher than the district elementary school average.
   
• Black/African American Students
  • GW spends more money per student in this demographic group than most other schools in the district, even though fewer students are in this group at GW. Having said that, NYSED designates this group as not meeting learning standards at GW.
     
• English Language Learners (ELLs):
  • GW spends the most money per student on ELL students, but it has the third highest ELL population compared to other elementary schools in the district. Having said that, NYSED designates this group as not meeting learning standards at GW.
     
• Economically Disadvantaged Students:
  • GW spends the second most amount of  money per student on this demographic group, even though it has the third highest in student population. Having said that, NYSED designates this group as not meeting learning standards at GW.
     

Overall, the district is spending more per pupil at GW but students are still underperforming compared to other elementary schools in the district. 

The cost of the increased number of faculty and staff needed, specialized coursework for teachers, curriculum specialists, materials and outside consultants has created significant inequity among our schools. 

As shown, despite these investments, the NYSED has deemed George Washington Elementary School as a Target Support & Improvement (TSI) school due to performance gaps in subgroups such as English Language Learners, Black, and Economically Disadvantaged students. It is also the only school in our district identified as underperforming for English Language Learners. Historically the data shows that the school performed better prior to implementing the Montessori model.

We understand that this decision will impact many families and staff who have invested their time, passion, and energy into this program. We are committed to working closely with all stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition and to continue providing high-quality educational experiences for all of our students. The district is currently working on a plan for the 2025-2026 school year and specific information and details will be shared with GW families later next week.