Frequently Asked Questions

Montessori Renaissance Academy (MRA) is a private, nonsectarian, nonprofit Montessori school located in Anoka, Minnesota. The school serves children from 16 months through 8th grade and has been in continuous operation for more than 20 years. MRA holds 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and is governed by an independent board of directors.

No. MRA is a private, tuition-funded school with no religious affiliation. Education at MRA aligns with national academic standards, but the school operates independently of any public school district.

No. MRA is a fully independent private school. It does not receive public funding. In the Anoka area, most Montessori options are either charter schools or religiously affiliated schools. MRA is neither.

No. MRA is nonsectarian and welcomes families of all backgrounds and beliefs.

More than 20 years. The school transitioned from private ownership to its current nonprofit structure in 2017, and the curriculum and many staff members have remained consistent throughout that transition.

MRA is governed by a fiduciary board of directors. Several board members are current parents, and the board also includes community members and local business leaders. Families interact directly with board members and staff; there is no district layer between them.

1333 5th Ave, Anoka, MN 55303. The school is in Anoka County, about 25 miles north of Minneapolis. Families from Anoka, Ramsey, Champlin, Coon Rapids, Andover, Maple Grove, and surrounding communities attend MRA.

MRA serves children from 16 months through 8th grade. The full range of programs includes the Toddler program, Children’s House (preschool through kindergarten), Elementary 1 (grades 1-3), Elementary 2 (grades 4-6), and Middle School (grades 7-8).

Call Montessori Renaissance Academy at 763-323-0741 to schedule a private tour and receive an enrollment application.

Partial scholarships are available. Contact the school directly for details.

Yes. Busing is available for 1st through 8th grade. Busing is provided by the Anoka-Hennepin school district, and families must reside in that school district to get busing.

Montessori education is built on child-led learning within carefully structured environments. Children work with hands-on materials, move through curriculum based on demonstrated mastery rather than age, and develop independence and self-direction over time. At MRA, this approach runs from toddlerhood through 8th grade.

Students direct their own work within environments designed to support that. Classrooms are multi-age, so children are not tracked by birthdate or grouped with only same-age peers. Teachers observe and guide rather than deliver whole-class instruction. Students progress through material when they have mastered it, not when the calendar says it is time.

Yes. Elementary programming aligns with national academic standards. For the youngest students, the program meets Minnesota’s licensed child care requirements.

MRA tracks progress through ongoing teacher observation and individualized lesson records rather than relying solely on standardized tests. The results speak to the approach: MRA students test an average of two to three grade levels above their national peers on standardized assessments.

On average, students in our E1 program are testing at least one grade level higher than their current grade. Half of our E2 students are testing two or more grade levels higher than their current grade. Last year, more than half of our Middle School students tested three or more grade levels higher than their current grade.

MRA teachers hold credentials from multiple Montessori certifying bodies. The school draws from both AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) and AMS (American Montessori Society) methodologies. The deciding factor is what the evidence indicates is best for each child, not loyalty to a single certification body.

MRA’s teachers hold recognized Montessori credentials. The school itself does not currently hold institutional Montessori accreditation. Families evaluating the authenticity of any Montessori program should ask about teacher credentials, multi-age classroom structure, and use of Montessori materials; those are the operational indicators of genuine practice.

MRA offers both a music program and a dedicated technology program. These are part of the regular school program, not optional enrichment. Both are uncommon in Montessori schools. MRA also offers a gym program at all levels.

MRA separates technology education from the regular classroom environment by design. Montessori classrooms at MRA remain hands-on and materials-based, with minimal screens or laptops in the learning space. Technology instruction takes place in a dedicated tech classroom.

At the younger ages, students focus on digital citizenship: what it means to use technology responsibly and ethically. In Elementary 2 (grades 4-6), students participate in the robotics program. In middle school, technology is incorporated more directly into daily academic work to prepare students for high school expectations.

The goal is students who are capable, thoughtful technology users, not students who have simply had access to devices.

Yes. Music is an important part of the student experience at Montessori Renaissance Academy, beginning in Children’s House and continuing through Middle School. Students are exposed to music through classroom activities, performances, and formal music instruction as they grow.

Children’s House students are introduced to composers, songs, and musical concepts throughout the school year. Music is often incorporated into classroom activities and may be played during work periods. Students also participate in winter and spring performances.

Formal music instruction begins in 1st Grade with a dedicated music teacher. Students attend music class twice each week at the beginning of the school day.

Elementary students are introduced to a variety of instruments, including recorder, xylophone, glockenspiel, percussion instruments, and other age-appropriate musical tools. Music lessons are designed to build both musical skills and confidence.

As students progress through Elementary and Middle School, they learn note reading, rhythm counting, harmonization, rounds, choir skills, and ensemble performance. Instruction becomes more advanced while remaining engaging and hands-on.

Yes. Students have opportunities to participate in performances, including winter and spring music programs that showcase what they have learned.

Yes. MRA periodically offers after-school music programs, such as ukulele. Families may also take advantage of connections with local music providers for piano, voice, band, and orchestra lessons.

No. Music instruction at MRA is designed for students of all experience levels. Whether a child is exploring music for the first time or already has musical interests, they will be encouraged to learn, participate, and grow.

Montessori Renaissance Academy’s technology program spans toddler-adjacent grades through 8th grade. It includes digital citizenship instruction (Elementary 1, grades 1-3), Python coding, robotics — including building and programming robots — 3D printing, video creation and editing, typing instruction, and core computer skills such as document creation, photo editing, and evaluating online sources.

Digital citizenship is a primary focus for Elementary 1 (grades 1-3).

Yes. Students learn Python as they get older.

Yes. Robotics runs across the tech program. Older students build and program their own robots.

Yes, students work with 3D printers.

Typing (younger students), working in documents, photo editing, and video creation/editing.

Montessori classrooms put kids in constant contact with peers all day. Students choose their own work, often choose who they work alongside, and navigate shared materials and space together continuously.

Younger children (roughly ages 3-6) often choose to work alone. By middle school, students run actual collaborative ventures together. Each year, the middle school class designs and runs Parents’ Night Out, a fundraiser for their end-of-year trip. Students organize childcare, arts and crafts, a movie, a bounce house, and other activities, running it as a small business they built themselves. They also run a weekly Friday morning coffee shop, with proceeds going to the same trip fund. Running both means students handle pricing, money, and real business concepts, including things like shrinkflation, and sell directly to parents.

Classrooms group students across a three-year age span (Children’s House, Elementary 1, Elementary 2, Middle School), so older students regularly mentor younger ones. That extends beyond a single classroom. Middle schoolers read to toddlers and Children’s House students, building relationships across the whole school, not just within their own grade.

Yes. Elementary 2 students work directly with a local senior living community, building relationships with residents there. Inside the classroom, students also take on collaborative projects like theater, including writing and producing their own plays.

Compared to a traditional classroom where kids sit at assigned desks and are asked to stay quiet and face forward, MRA students move through the room, choose their work, and interact with classmates throughout the day without a teacher directing every exchange.

Yes. Montessori isn’t built around externally assigned roles, where someone hands out a fixed set of tasks and tells each person what to do. It mirrors a self-organizing team instead: kids figure out roles and next steps among themselves rather than waiting to be told. That builds leadership skills alongside teamwork, since someone has to step up and organize rather than wait for direction.

Children’s House hours are 8:15 AM to 2:45 PM. Elementary 1, Elementary 2, and Middle School hours are 7:40 AM to 2:10 PM.

Yes. Before-school care begins at 7:00 AM. After-school care runs until 5:30 PM.

MRA maintains a 1:7 ratio for Toddlers and a 1:10 ratio for Children’s House. Upper levels are approximately 8.4:1. Most public school districts operate above 20:1.

MRA enrolls fewer than 150 students across all grades. That size means teachers know students across multi-year classroom cycles, parents have direct access to staff and board members, and students are known individually. The small scale is not incidental; it is part of how the school works.

The Toddler program serves children from 16 months to approximately 32 months. It introduces the Montessori environment at an early age, with a focus on independence and practical life skills. Children move freely through the classroom, choose their own work, and begin building concentration and self-care routines. MRA’s Toddler program operates as a licensed child care facility under the State of Minnesota.

Children’s House serves children from approximately 32 months through the end of kindergarten. It is a multi-age environment where children stay for several years, building academic and developmental foundations through hands-on Montessori materials. Class hours are 8:15 AM to 2:45 PM. MRA’s Preschool program operates as a licensed child care facility under the State of Minnesota.

Elementary 1 is a mixed-age classroom for grades 1 through 3. Students work with Montessori materials across major subject areas, with materials becoming more abstract as mastery develops. Programming aligns with national academic standards. MRA students at this level test an average of one to two grade levels above their national peers.

Elementary 2 serves grades 4 through 6 in a multi-age classroom. Work becomes increasingly abstract and students take on more independent responsibility. The robotics program, music program, and digital citizenship curriculum are active at this level. Elementary 2 students are also active in the local community, frequently taking local bus routes to local establishments and field trips, and connecting with business owners in the community.

The Middle School program at MRA (grades 7-8) is rare in Montessori education; most Montessori schools do not extend past 6th grade. At this level, Montessori principles are combined with direct preparation for high school. Students begin using textbooks, technology use increases, and the curriculum moves toward a more traditional structure. MRA graduates go on to a mix of public and private high schools and specialty programs.

Most Montessori schools in the Twin Cities are either religiously affiliated or publicly funded charter schools. MRA is a private, nonsectarian, independently governed school with over 22 years of continuous operation. It is one of the few schools in the region offering authentic Montessori from 16 months through 8th grade, with no religious filter on enrollment and no public funding constraints on curriculum.

Continuity through 8th grade is a feature of MRA’s design, not a limitation. By middle school, students have spent years developing independence, self-direction, and mastery-based learning habits. The middle school program builds on that foundation while actively preparing students for high school through increasing academic rigor, textbook use, and technology integration. MRA graduates go on to a range of high schools and are consistently well-prepared for the transition.

MRA is the combination of authentic, credentialed Montessori practice spanning 16 months through 8th grade; a nonsectarian, nonprofit governance structure with parent board members; academic outcomes averaging two to three grade levels above national peers; and programs in music, technology, robotics, and digital citizenship that extend the Montessori environment without replacing it.