Sussex Montessori School eyes Georgetown area

A Montessori school is eyeing the Georgetown area for a new charter school. Sussex Montessori School would open in the 2018-19 school year for grades K-5 in a west Georgetown area accessible to Laurel, Seaford and Georgetown, said Jesse Reeves, president of Montessori Works.

Formed in 2012, Montessori Works seeks to offer Montessori education opportunities for all children.

“We feel strongly that there should be opportunities for Montessori,” Reeves said.

Linda Zankowsky, vice president of Montessori Works, said a modest crowd turned out for an informational meeting Dec. 5 in Georgetown. The school applied for a state charter Jan. 3, beginning a lengthy process of approvals needed before the Delaware State Board of Education gives its final approval for the charter school. Reeves said they expect to hear by April or May.

Sussex Montessori will incorporate teaching practices that allow children to learn at their own pace, work with peers and develop their creativity, a system based on the Montessori model and the successful First State Montessori School in Wilmington, Reeves said.

“The goal is to replicate First State Montessori in Sussex County,” Zankowsky said.

The Sussex school would use similar learning materials, instruction and classroom setup as First State, she said.

“What happens inside the school will be similar,” she said. “It's still a vision of what the facility will look like.”

Zankowsky said they like the west Geogetown area because of the diversity it offers, and they also based their decision on research that predicts more families will locate in the area because of its affordability compared to pricey beach-area real estate.

“All children can benefit from a Montessori education,” she said.