Cleveland Montessori School
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
CLEVELAND MONTESSORI PROVIDES EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION TO THE CHILDREN OF GREATER CLEVELAND BY DISCOVERING AND AWAKENING CHILDREN'S INNATE TALENTS AND ABILITIES, AND CULTIVATING A LIFETIME LOVE OF LEARNING AND SPIRIT OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. CLEVELAND MONTESSORI IS AN ASSOCIATION MONTESSORI INTERNATIONALE (AMI) RECOGNIZED SCHOOL, AND IS DEEPLY COMMITTED TO AUTHENTIC MONTESSORI PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES FOR OPTIMIZING CHILD EDUCATION AND CREATIVE POTENTIAL.ENRICHED BY THE VALUES OF LOVE, RESPECT, JUSTICE AND JOY, AND FOSTERED BY A DIVERSE AND WONDERFULLY NUTURING MONTESSORI COMMUNITY, THE SCHOOL SERVES ALL CHILDREN, REGARDLESS OF RACE OR CREED, AND IS DINSTINCTLY COMMITTED TO ENHANCING THE VITALITY OF THE LITTLE ITALY AND UNIVERSITY CIRCLE COMMUNITIES.
- Income
- $1.2 million
- Spending
- $1.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 80%
- Reserves
- 3.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 85%
- Employees
- 23
- Volunteers
- 100
- Highest pay
- $62,242, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 67 out of 100. Higher than 49% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.1 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 24% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 1% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 4% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1580% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 47 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 94 out of 100. Higher than 67% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 255 of 5 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
9 of 15Its accounts were reviewed or compiled by an independent accountant, but not audited.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $985,839 spent. LOCATED IN THE HEART OF CLEVELAND'S LITTLE ITALY, OUR SCHOOL IS BASED ON THE PRINCIPLES OF ITALIAN EDUCATOR AND PHYSICIAN, DR. MARIA MONTESSORI. HER PHILOSOPHY IS BEST EXPRESSED IN THE WORDS OF A CHILD: "HELP ME - TO DO IT MYSELF."OUR SKILLED MONTESSORI-TRAINED TEACHERS ACT AS GUIDES USING MONTESSORI CLASSROOM MATERIALS AND OUR "URBAN CLASSROOM" AS WE ENGAGE IN THE LIFE OF THE LITTLE ITALY NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE INSTITUTIONS OF UNIVERSITY CIRCLE. OUR STUDENTS NOT ONLY PLAN THEIR OWN VISITS TO AREA MUSEUMS, THEY ALSO DESIGN INNOVATIVE PHILANTHROPIC OUTREACH TO THOSE IN NEED, FROM OUR ELDERLY NEIGHBORS TO SCHOOL CHILDREN IN INDIA.OUR STUDENTS BECOME INDEPENDENT THINKERS WITH COMPASSIONATE HEARTS. THOSE ARE THE QUALITIES THAT EMERGE WHEN YOU COMBINE A MONTESSORI EDUCATION WITH GLOBAL AWARENESS. SINCE OPENING AS AN INDEPENDENT, PRIVATE SCHOOL IN 1995, OUR SCHOOL CONTINUES TO GROW AND THRIVE. BEYOND ACADEMICS, OUR SCHOOL IS COMMITTED TO SOCIAL JUSTICE, SERVICE AND SPIRITUALITY. AS AN OPTION AVAILABLE TO ALL CHILDREN, THE CATECHESIS OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD IS BASED ON MARIA MONTESSORI'S APPROACH TO RELIGIOUS FORMATION, ROOTED IN BOTH SCRIPTURE AND LITURGY.STUDENTS AT CLEVELAND MONTESSORI ACHIEVE EXCELLENCE IN MATH, READING, GEOGRAPHY, SOCIAL STUDIES, WRITING, AND SCIENCE. ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS RANGE FROM DRAMA CLUB, SPORTS, AND ITALIAN TO INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC AND ART. BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, FROM 7:00 A.M. TO 6:00 P.M., ACCOMMODATE SCHEDULES FOR WORKING PARENTS. WE ARE THE ONLY CLEVELAND-AREA MONTESSORI SCHOOL RECOGNIZED BY THE ASSOCIATION MONTESSORI INTERNATIONALE (AMI) FOUNDED IN 1929 BY DR. MARIA MONTESSORI TO MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF HER LIFE'S WORK. CLEVELAND MONTESSORI AND ALTA HOUSE HAVE COME TOGETHER IN AN EDUCATIONAL AND SERVICE-ORIENTED PARTNERSHIP THAT WILL SIGNIFICANTLY AND POSITIVELY IMPACT LITTLE ITALY AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. CLEVELAND MONTESSORI, AFTER 20 YEARS OF SUCCESSFUL GROWTH, HAS MOVED INTO ITS NEW HOME AT THE ALTA HOUSE. THE SCHOOL'S PRESENCE IN LITTLE ITALY SERVES THE INTERESTS OF DIVERSE FAMILIES WHO VALUE CHILDREN'S EXPOSURE TO THE RICH EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND UNIVERSITY CIRCLE. ALTA HOUSE, AN ANCHOR INSTITUTION IN LITTLE ITALY FOR 120 YEARS, HAS GRAPPLED WITH CHALLENGES TO MAINTAIN ITS AGING BUILDING AND TO DELIVER ON A MISSION THAT HONORS ITS DISTINGUISHED HERITAGE OF SERVICE. FOUNDED AS A NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO LEARN AND SOCIALIZE WHILE THEIR PARENTS WORKED, ALTA HOUSE EVOLVED AS LITTLE ITALY'S POPULATION GREW OLDER, EXPANDING ITS PROGRAMING TO BENEFIT SENIORS. TODAY, WE CELEBRATE COMPLETION OF THE FIRST PHASE OF OUR PROJECT: THE BUILDING HAS BEEN RENOVATED AND BROUGHT UP TO CODE ELECTRICAL, HVAC, PLUMBING AND CLEVELAND MONTESSORI'S PRIMARY (PRE-K AND KINDERGARTEN) AND LOWER ELEMENTARY (GRADES 1 THROUGH 3) COMMUNITIES HAVE MOVED INTO THE EXISTING, RENOVATED SPACE. OUR FINAL PHASE IS RAISING ANOTHER $1.6 MILLION TO BUILD AN ADDITION THAT WILL HOUSE OUR UPPER ELEMENTARY COMMUNITY (GRADES 4 THROUGH 6) WITH AN ARCHITECTURALLY HARMONIOUS FRONT TO REPLACE THE AGING '70S FACADE WHILE MAINTAINING THE BELOVED BOCCE COURTS. WITH YOUR HELP, WE CAN COMPLETE THIS PROJECT AND CONTINUE OUR JOINT SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY WITH A VIBRANT, THRIVING SCHOOL (THE LAST IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD) AND INTERGENERATIONAL SOCIAL OUTREACH AND PROGRAMMING.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Worth knowing.
The IRS does not require this organization to file annual returns.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since May 1995.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
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