Desert Sky Montessori

150 Northeast Bend River Mall Drive

School District

Bend-La Pine Schools
Grade

K-6
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:20
Type

charter

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on November 01, 2024

We just left this school after several years. We wanted this school because we liked the idea of a small school and did research on Montessori. But it was one thing after another in our time there that we finally decided to leave. 1.) Staff turnover was a significant problem and never got better. They said at the tour that students get the same teacher for 3 years so they really get to know your child, but every year there was a new teacher, or a new principal or others. It started to feel like a red flag when the school couldn’t retain its staff. 2.) Going to this school takes work! There is no bus, so we had to make arrangements everyday to pick up and drop off. Not the end of the world, but also a burden sometimes. There is no food or lunch available so we had to deal with packing lunches. Again, not the end of the world but this is a challenge we wouldn’t have to deal with at other schools. And the amount of fundraising felt excessive! We felt at one point like we were being asked to “donate” so much, we may as well have had to pay a tuition. It was optional technically but with the amount of asking they did, it felt like an obligation. Constantly selling something, hosting fundraising events or just asking for direct donations. Cost of living is hard enough right now, add having to commute to the school twice a day, buying lunch supplies and “dont forget to donate”, it was honestly a financial burden for our family to go to this school. 3.) Academically speaking, I don’t think they are preparing kids well at all. We didn’t have any concerns while there because we always got positive feedback from teachers and we trusted them, but now that we’ve left and are at a new school, we are finding out our child is really behind. I don’t know if it’s the method or the new teachers every year, either way, we are disappointed in the academics side of things. All in all, this school was a let down. The whole lottery thing makes you feel like you really “won the lottery” to get a spot. But after having experienced it, it’s not as great as it seems. I wouldn’t recommend this school.
Submitted by parent on June 17, 2024

We had many ups and downs while at this school. My son unfortunately experienced a lot of bullying while here and issues going unresolved. He is also academically low, especially in math. I would take a serious look at test scores here and compare them to the other schools in the area.
Submitted by parent on March 13, 2024

We have always been very happy with this school and how my children have progressed academically and socially. That said pre-2023 I had heard other families stories who had negative experiences. There was a concerning amount of turn over of teachers and administration in 2022-2023. However, with the new head of school, Ms. Heather, in the lead this school has REALLY taken off in a positive direction. It is now a much more stable environment in terms of retaining staff and there is much more transparency with parents. The classroom teachers are wonderful human beings I am thrilled to have teach my children. Both of my children are doing work that is much more advanced than their friends at other schools because the children are working at their own pace. They moved from 2 campuses onto one beautiful campus with outdoor and garden space. I would highly recommend this school as a supportive place for kids to learn and meet their potential.
Submitted by parent on December 08, 2022

This is a wonderful school full of great people that really care about your kids. We were really struggling with homeschooling our son during covid. My wife found this school and luckily they had a space. This school was such a blessing because he went from struggling to thriving because of this school. The teachers there do so much and genuinely care about the kids. One of the many things they do that makes them above and beyond other teacher is that they take time out of their personal lives to come and support their students. Everyone of their teachers has gone to their performances, athletic competitions and even their birthdays! My children are getting an amazing foundation that will help them throughout life. Thank you to everyone at Desert Sky!
Submitted by parent on December 06, 2022

I feel so lucky that my kids attend this school. The Montessori curriculum has helped them both to excel. We love the teachers and staff. I recommend this school to all our friends and family.
Submitted by parent on September 07, 2022

Our son attended Desert Sky on 1st grade. My son is a lovable boy who loves riding bikes, loves playing Legos and enjoys hanging out with his friends. One day while playing a game of "Bank heist" at recess another student heard the the boys saying they were going to rob a bank and reported to the teacher (mind you these are 6-8 year old kids playing a game of Lego's bank heist). After returning to the classroom, their teacher decided to "teach the boys a lesson" as they put to us (instead of just asking the boys if they were playing a game or threatening anyone).The school then triggered a safety protocol (based on two kids saying they were going to rob a bank during recess) in which the two boys were kicked out school for the day after a stern talk with the principal. However, this protocol also calls out for a state psychologist to come out and assess if these kids really meant to rob a bank by exploding it. The state psychologist interview was unbearably uncomfortable given that this psychologist was now directly asking my son questions like "Do you know how to make a bomb?" (my son didn't even understand this question!!!!) or "Do you know how to attain bomb materials?" (my son had no idea what was being asked here), "Do your parents own any guns?" (we never had and never will own guns).It was clear that the psychologist was also uncomfortable asking these questions to a 7 year old but she had to follow the protocol. I didn't mind these questions because we are very much against violence, guns given the insane levels of violence lately but when the kid doesn't even understand the seriousness of the situation or what making a bomb encompasses then you're simply causing a lot of damage on such young minds.However, what astonished me is the fact the school decided to pursue this path and the only thing they accomplished was completely braking the trust that these kids and their teachers. The psychologist even told us that these questions were really meant for older kids.I don't believe Desert Sky is capable of triaging normal day to day children issues and will readily trigger safety protocols that are traumatizing to their kids. To make things much worse, these event will forever be part of my son's school record.