St. Joseph Montessori School was established in 1968 as a preschool preparation program for St. Joseph Academy, operated by the Sisters of Notre Dame. The Academy consisted of grades one through twelve. Recognizing the value of the Montessori approach to education, parents requested and were granted the extension of the program into the elementary school.

Although declining enrollment forced the closing of the 100-year-old high school in 1977, a cooperative effort between the Sisters and the parent body resulted in the transition of SJMS into a private Pre-K-8 diocesan school with a nonprofit status and an elected parent Board of Trustees. After nearly twenty years, St. Joseph Montessori School moved from its original location to its current campus.

We offer an alternative educational program to families throughout the central Ohio area. Our school is located in a vibrant and historic residential neighborhood near downtown Columbus. We serve families from Franklin County as well as the six surrounding counties. We have made many additions to the school, such as adding a new library, a greenhouse, and multiple classrooms to accommodate our expanding population.

The multi-sensory approach of the Montessori Method enables our teachers to work equally with students across the learning spectrum. They can easily meet a wide range of student needs. Most important, all students work at their own level and are scored on their own individual progress.

Our school is more than a place of learning; it is a safe community where our students confidently develop their character. They incorporate sound values and relate peacefully while developing a responsibility for themselves and the natural world.

Sister Anne McCarrick (pictured to the right), who traveled to Bergamo, Italy to study the Montessori philosophy first hand, served as the school first directress from 1968 to 1979. Each year we celebrate and recognize her role in founding the school, as well as her contributions in the Montessori and Columbus communities on her birthday, known as Founder’s Day.