After 2.5 years at Ladybird Montessori, it's clear that the "perfect" farm image hides a chaotic reality. The school prioritizes enrollment numbers over child safety and quality education. We experienced extreme instability, with at least 10 teacher turnovers in our classroom alone. Without lead teachers, the environment lacked structure, leading to incidents of teacher's yelling and writing up excessive incident reports. Major Safety & Management Red Flags: * Severe Negligence: My child was left outside alone and was banging on the door to come back in (documented with the state) and was left in a bathroom with an unauthorized adult without staff realizing she had left her group. * Unstructured Aftercare: Most incidents occurred during the 60-kid aftercare "nightmare," which lacks any meaningful supervision. * Financial Gatekeeping: The school often holds children back in YCC (Toddler) longer than necessary just to collect higher fees, regardless of whether the child has mastered the curriculum. * Exclusionary Practices: Extracurriculars like soccer are restricted by age (4+), effectively excluding half of the mixed-age Children's House (2.5-6) classrooms. * Retaliation: Be prepared for your child's hours to be cut to half-days as a way to slowly push you out. Communication is a "secret" here; I never received enough communication or updates on my child's progress. Enough was enough. If you raise any concerns, the director deflects blame onto the child. Please check the state's licensing website for their violation history. Your child deserves a safe, attentive environment--not just to be a number in a crowded room. Disabling Google reviews to limit transparency is a clear indicator of the issues present here. read more

I am sharing our experience to alert parents who choose Ladybird Montessori School (LMS) specifically for its AMS "Verified" status and its promise of a high-fidelity Montessori environment. The school markets itself as a development partner. However, our experience revealed a systemic failure. They did not follow basic Montessori principles when faced with a child's natural developmental whirlwind. 1. Interaction with Administration: A Failure to Lead. My interactions with the administration were consistently dismissive and lacked the pedagogical depth one expects from a Montessori leader. The Director utilized administrative pressure to silence concerns. pick-up incidents occurred, I was met with visible frustration rather than a collaborative, "connected" approach. It became clear that the administration prioritizes its own convenience and "harmonious" image over the actual hard work of supporting a child. 2. Inability to Handle High-Energy Children. This school is fundamentally equipped only for children who are "perfect" or passive. If your child has high energy, curiosity, or a "whirlwind" personality, LMS will likely label them a safety liability rather than a student. Despite Montessori literature stating that high-energy toddlers often need "heavy work" or movement outlets to regulate, this school treated my son's natural physical drive as a critical safety "impasse". They simply do not have the patience or the staffing expertise to handle children who don't fit into a quiet, compliant box. For parents considering any Montessori program, I strongly recommend taking a close look at how the school accommodates children with different temperaments. During a tour, observe whether classrooms offer movement opportunities or "heavy work" materials for children who benefit from physical activity. Ask staff how they support children who are active or struggle to remain still, and what strategies are in place for channeling high energy in a positive direction. Look for evidence of patience, flexibility, and an individualized approach, not just for compliance or calm. By being proactive in your questions, you can determine whether the environment will truly support your child's natural development. 3. Lack of Developmental Expertise The school consistently mislabeled age-appropriate milestones as behavioral "red flags." Most notably, my three-year-old son's natural development of oral-motor skills--commonly known as "raspberrying"--was documented as "spitting" in multiple incident reports. It was only after we clarified this developmental milestone that the school's documentation began to shift. Discouraging a child during a peak phase of speech development is a direct contradiction of the principle of "following the child". 4. Non-Montessori Disciplinary Practices Despite claiming to follow the AMS 5 Core Components, the school used interventions that are fundamentally non-Montessori. My son was removed to an administrative office to "sit and take breaths" while being lectured. This practice ignores Montessori guidance on toddler development. Authentic practice requires classroom-based "Grace and Courtesy" lessons and a prepared environment with "heavy work" for high-energy children. LMS chose administrative isolation over pedagogical support. 5. Dismissal Instead of Partnership When we formally requested the school realign its practices with AMS standards, the Director responded by immediately terminating our enrollment. This pattern of "quick dismissal" is echoed by other parents who report their children being asked to leave for behaviors like separation anxiety, without any attempt at modification. 6. Concerns Regarding Qualifications Public testimony from former staff members suggests that the "Lead Guides" at this school may not all hold the years of in-person training and practicum required for high-fidelity Montessori, with reports of "hiring off the street" and relying on online courses. This would explain the staff's inability to differentiate between developmental milestones and behavioral issues. How to Verify These Patterns: I encourage any parent considering this school to read the employee reviews on Glassdoor and Indeed, as well as the 1-star parent reviews on Yelp. You will see a consistent pattern of administrative dismissal and allegations of unqualified staff that mirrors our experience exactly. Furthermore, parents should check the Kyle/Buda community boards on Facebook, where numerous other families have expressed similar concerns about LMS. Finally, you can verify on the AMS School Locator (amshq.org) that while they are a "Verified" member, they have NOT attained full Accreditation. Conclusion: If your child is "perfect" or already accustomed to a school setting, LMS may suffice. However, if your child exhibits the "tricky behaviors" typical of a three-year-old such as darting, physical play, or vocal exploration, thi read more

I'm honestly really uncomfortable even writing this, but I feel it's important to address. Yesterday, I accompanied my sister to pick up her children from the lower elementary side, and we briefly passed through the toddler play area. While there, we noticed a guide (Gabby) whose clothing was extremely inappropriate for a school setting. Her yoga pants were very sheer, and when she bent over, it was clearly visible that she was wearing a thong. This felt highly unprofessional and disrespectful, especially in an environment meant for young children and families. I understand that comfort is important, but this is a school, and there should absolutely be a clear and enforced dress code for staff. It was not a pleasant or appropriate situation to witness, and I truly hope this is addressed moving forward. I will also be reaching out to the office directly to share this concern. read more

We had our son here from 1st grade to 8th grade. The only reason we left was because we moved. He had a wonderful experience and made many life long friends. We loved ladybird!! :) read more

BEWARE!!! UNETHICAL BUSINESS!!! Company does NOT pay their employees. My wife was hired as an assistant teacher, worked a full day and decided to quit because not only do they NOT offer health insurance, they only pay once a month and do not pay for holidays nor breaks. read more

We've had our son at Ladybird Montessori for four years now, and we couldn't imagine ever switching schools. Our son started in kindergarten, and within the first two weeks we could tell a huge difference in his independence and willingness to do things on his own. Because of the multi-age classroom model, he had the same teacher for grades 1-3, which makes a huge difference. The level of communication from his teacher was beyond what we could have hoped for. We know all of the other parents, and Ladybird truly is a community. The Director and Assistant Director have always been accessible and available any time we had questions or requests. We've never had any issues or complaints. We will definitely keep our son at Ladybird all the way through 12th grade. read more

We've had such a positive experience at Ladybird Montessori over the years, with our children attending the Children's House and now Lower Elementary. Throughout each stage, we've seen them grow not only academically, but also in their confidence and independence. One of the things we love most is how the Montessori approach allows our kids to learn at the pace that's right for them--fostering both curiosity and a true love of learning. Our children are genuinely excited to go to school each day, which speaks volumes about the environment and the care they receive. We've always felt warmly welcomed and supported by the teachers and administrative staff, and it truly feels like we're part of a community. We're so grateful for the strong foundation this school is giving our children, and we look forward to continuing our journey with them for years to come. read more

When my child was enrolled, we explained he had a speech delay and had never been in a school setting. We discussed doing half days, and they assured me they cna help him transition. He was there three hours (as scheduled) the first day of school, and no notes or correspondence on any issues. The second day I got a call 30 minutes into the day to come get my child. They claimed my child wouldn't calm down and accidentally and allegedly hit another child, which has never happened before or since. They said he couldn't return until he could calm down. He does speech therapy at a public school who was appalled at Ladybird's quick dismissal without any modifications. After a week of being upset at drop off, he has gone to this public school without any meltdown at drop off, needing to calm down, and still has not hit or touched anyone! I've consulted two pediatricians, multiple parents, and a child psychologist who confirmed that is NOT how you should handle a child who is having separation issues especially for the first time and at this age. Oh, I also asked four teachers in three different states how their private/public school would handle this. Generally, two weeks to adjust! So, if your child is perfect or used to that setting, sure, I bet it is a good place. read more

My children have had wonderful experiences in Ladybird Montessori. My middle schooler said that the MMUN experience is one of her most unforgettable experiences ever! They made a lot of good friends. After my children's unpleasant experience at another school, they were very happy and relieved that all their Ladybird classmates were very nice. Really good community, where teaching kids to be respectful is greatly emphasized. Most public schools don't teach home economics anymore, but they teach it at Ladybird. I commend their hands-on activities in their Makerspace, including baking and pottery. read more

Our family loves Ladybird Montessori. My daughter has been enrolled at Ladybird since she was a year old and she's now loving every minute in the Kindergarten program. The teachers are incredibly well-trained, attentive, and energetic. The front office staff is great to work with, too! As a side note, I noticed someone commented about their COVID policies and, as a long-time family at Ladybird, I wanted to clarify as someone who's been enrolled during the pandemic: Ladybird's protocols for COVID have been incredibly common-sense and easy to follow. These rules allowed my daughter to go to school in-person before a lot of her peers at other schools, something I was very grateful for. read more

My husband and I were called back into the office during COVID and needed to find a place for our then 3 year old son. We wanted to take him back to his initial school (INIC off Manchaca/Wm Cannon) but despite the extremely cautious actions they took, they lost two teachers to COVID and a lot of the parents there were first responders and we just felt there was a much higher risk for exposure there. So we were looking for another place when my in-laws suggested Lady Bird. We toured, we loved that they had a huge covered outside play area that was used a lot and we were quite impressed with their masking and other COVID protocols - we also really liked their child centered approach to teaching and learning as we both believe that each child learns at their own pace (...to an extent). All was well for about 6 months. Then we started getting incident reports spanning from "your son bumped into a friend and knocked over their work and the friend was sad...", to "your son threw a kid on the ground..." Woah! That last one isn't proper behavior ever, we'll be sure to discuss this with him as soon as we get home. Well, in talking with our son about how we don't throw people on the ground, it was discovered that sand had been thrown in our son's face by another kid and our son pushed that kid down. Still not excellent behavior (on either side), but still an understandable reaction for a four year old. Then the phone calls started about our son's bad behavior - mind you, this is behavior we've never witnessed in our house or out in public, or at fellow Lady Bird friend's birthday parties. It was suggested that we get an occupational therapist involved because his teacher said our son was a classic case of autistic (of which my MIL, a licensed psychologist, laughed at). There were meetings and conferences between his teacher, us, and the occupational therapist to which, the only expert in the (zoom) room explicitly stated she saw no signs of autism or behavioral disorders in either her observations or her evaluations. We paid close to $2k out of pocket for many weeks worth of occupational therapy and evaluations because his teacher had us worried that our son may have autism or a behavioral disorder. By May our son's anxiety would go up when we got in the car to go to school. He would beg me to stay home. My in-laws stepped in and kept him for two days a week so he could get a break - he seemed happier with that. We initially considered committing to the Montessori way of teaching and keeping him a Montessori school - Lady Bird was the only one near us and my in-laws. We went to their open house for elementary school to determine if we should go the private school route. We found it refreshing at first but after asking a few questions we learned that they really do let the child guide the curriculum to (what we thought) an alarming rate. While I mentioned that we were concerned that our son was way behind on basic drawing and writing skills/capabilities, the lower grade level teacher blurts out that kids follow their own path on their own time and not to worry because they have 2nd graders who don't read or write yet, either. Once we popped our eyes back in their sockets, we asked why that was and were told (to paraphrase), "they'll read and write when they're ready." I agree with this mindset to an extent and certainly on other activities like learning to ride a bike, or learning to walk, or potty training - but not reading or writing by 2nd grade. We went home and submitted our son's AISD pre-k 4 application that night. Moving our son from Lady Bird to AISD has made a huge difference - and guess what, ZERO behavioral issues - weird! His current teacher spent years teaching special education and when I mentioned the concerns we'd gotten from his teacher at Lady Bird, our son's teacher stated that they'd never seen anything remotely like that coming from our son. Our son has thrived in pre-k through AISD far more than he would have at Lady Bird. He went from not really knowing what hand he prefers to write with or the letters in the alphabet to reading basic sight words (cat, dog, mom, dad...), writing the alphabet in lower and upper cases, and counting to 30 within 3 months in pre-k. He's also happy that he can wear his Spiderman and Batman t-shirts to school - I'm sorry, but banning superheroes is a bizarre policy that no other Montessori follows. In closing, I have nothing against the Montessori approach. We have lots of friends who have their kids in Montessori programs and their kids are thriving. However, it seems those programs are more structured than Lady Bird in that they recognize that a kiddo should be reading and writing by 2nd grade so they're not going to wait on a child to 'be ready' to read and write - they're going to tell the child 'hey, it's time to learn how to read and write...'. The lack of classroom structure was mentioned to us by our son's occupational therapist. read more

TLDR: I could not be happier with or more grateful for Ladybird Montessori! I'm writing from the perspective of a parent of a one year old currently enrolled at Ladybird. The "guides" (the Montessori term for teachers) in her classroom are very special people. They are engaged, thoughtful, easy to reach, calm, and experienced. They manage a room full of children and make it look easy?! I do not know how they pull it off! The school is tucked back away from the road, and is unlike any of the other childcare options we toured in the area. Down a gravel road, there's a sweet school with a working farm and natural elements for imaginative play. It has clearly been built with so much love. My child is thriving there, and when I go to pick her up I am always happy to see her happily playing, sitting around a table with other infants (how do the guides manage to get babies to sit happily around a table??), or being held by someone. I am so impressed, relieved, and grateful! I can tell that she's been getting a lot of individual attention and she is always at ease at drop off / pick up. She's hitting her milestones and even enthusiastically cleaning up after herself at home -- at 12 months old! We are so lucky to have found such a warm, happy place to send her while we work. And so excited to watch her grow into the other classrooms! Thank you to this entire team for taking care of my babe! read more

I cannot recommend Ladybird enough. My kindergartner has been there since she was 2 1/2. This is a very nurturing, high quality daycare and school. Niki, the owner goes above and beyond to enrich the children's experiences. The Montessori way is followed very closely, they have a true devotion to education model and it is very obvious in the behavior of the children. Our child has thrived, socially, emotionally and academically. The child moves at there own pace and is very respected in the class, in return our child has learned to respect others and to help other children when needed. I have found the teaches to be very in tuned to the subtle needs of our child and also does not judge behavior in harsh ways, but as ways to evaluate the routine and communication. Safety is also one of my top priorities when I was selecting a place to send my (baby!) I certainly chose the right spot. They run a tight ship and have a very high expectations for employees and now with the pandemic, families, to adhere to. I have felt very fortunate to have my child in this very safe place during these years that there has been so much instability. They have been seamless in the mission in unlocking the potential of the child. We are grateful! read more

My twin boys are just now 18 months old. We started going to Ladybird in August 2014, which was the very start of their Nido (baby) class. They have just now switched to the Young Children's class. I honestly can not say enough amazing things about the entire school and would recommend it to all my friends (in fact, I already have). From the get-go the director/owner (Nikki) was very responsive and returned my calls immediately. We were relocated due to employment from Cedar Park to Buda, which meant a new daycare for my twins, which terrified me since we had family at the previous daycare to keep an extra eye on my boys. Nikki was very reassuring and went the extra mile for us to accommodate some of our special needs. Anyhow, before finding Ladybird I wasn't sold one way or the other on Montessori. I can tell you now that I absolutely 100% love it. Since being at Ladybird I have seen a complete change in my boys. Of course, they're growing older, but they are remarkably independent and self-sufficient. Like I said, my boys are 18 months old and they are currently (and have been for a while) able to sign a number of words that has made communication, and thus independence, so much easier for all of us. The teachers (or, lead guides in Montessori world) are so loving and compassionate. Honestly, it may sound a bit cliché, but I feel like they are part of the extended family. There is no doubt in my mind that my boys love their teachers. AND, they are easy to get a hold of and communicate with. It is not uncommon for me to get text messages during the day of pictures of my boys engaged in an activity. I have never felt that my opinion went unrecognized and have always felt that I could ask any question or voice a concern. Lastly, I am SO happy with the community of Ladybird. The other parents are great and I feel as though there is a lot of commonality with parenting technique and philosophy. There have been a number of community inspired Ladybird events that involved both parents and students where everyone can engage and get to know one another. Okay, last thought, promise...the school itself is very small, which is great. The last school we were at was huge and it felt very impersonal. It is always the same teachers every day and if there is going to be a sub, an email is sent out notifying parents. I know this was a long review, but I feel it is important to get all my thoughts out. I agonized forever over which daycare/school to place my kids in before I found Ladybird. When we leave Buda (no time soon), we will wholeheartedly miss Ladybird Montessori and everyone that goes with it. read more

We are really pleased and blessed to have our daughter going to Ladybird Montessori, the staff is amazing!, the facility is beautiful and lovely kids that always want to play with our daughter and thanks to all this combination we feel she has been developing way better than if she'd had stayed at home with a nanny or gone to another "traditional" daycare. The Nido Community team not only takes great care of the babies but they also do an excellent job stimulating their development, plus they do it in Spanish, English and sign language. read more

We were given an amazing tour and made to feel very welcome. We weren't actually on the market for daycare - we have a nanny for our 1.5 year & 6 mo old - we were more curious about Montessori. But when we were told about LadyBird's culture and process (a home visit to see our baby's environment?!) we couldn't sign up fast enough. After we wrote the check we didn't hear from anyone for months. Sunday night late before our first week the teacher emailed us to schedule the home visit. This was a teensy red flag. Our first actual day of school was off-putting. No one said hi or greeted us. We let ourselves in and went to the babies' room ("Nido"). The staff had their hands full - and all the babies were screaming - so we didn't want to interrupt - we just kind of took our baby outside. Seemed like the teachers were pretty tired and road-weary for 9 am. One looked asleep and the other was at school sick & with no voice. We took our 1.5 yr old to her class. Again no one said hi or welcome to me or her. All of this was fine - they had said I would be fly on a wall so I just observed. It seemed to me the teachers preferred their (biological) kids to the others. Pretty listless otherwise. But what do I know? I said nothing. Where it gets weird is day 2. I send my daughter to school with her nannah for a 3 hour visit. I realize once she's out the door I didn't send the consent paperwork. I am on serious pain meds for a kidney infection so I'm not firing on all cylinders. I text our nanny my mistake, to let the school know, and if we need to just skip and regroup the next day no problem. They said they speak Spanish a English and although it was clear at our visit the teachers' Spanish was poor, I assumed they would at least speak to our nanny. My daughter comes home an hour later I assume all is fine that we'll do the 3-hour the next day. Then all hell breaks loose. Apparently at LadyBird you need to give them grace, but they don't necessarily feel obliged to return the favor. That afternoon the owner reaches out and leaves this long message about how I didn't follow their process. She says she knows their phones have been down due to construction (I don't care if you got shut down for non-payment FYI) and she left my husband a message on his cell (that's weird) and did he get it? Then went on for awhile about how "the nanny" can't bring my daughter I have to. I return her call and say I respect where she's coming from. But may I explain and raise a few concerns of my own? I start with the home visit email late Sunday before the first week of school, and how I just wanted to clean up communica.... Nikki cuts me off. Talks over me. About how amazing a home visit is but it isn't guaranteed. She talks about everything from their philosophy to their practices to the moon before she finishes. ... I wait. In my silence she talks some more. I wait. I literally have to say "may I finish my sentence?" She says you may. We didn't need a home visit, I said. We just needed clean communica... "Well maybe this just isn't the place for you then!" Hmm. People show you who they are when you're silent & this wasn't good. I said no, we want to move forward, but only with our infant not with our baby, and for fewer hours per day than we initially though. "Well then maybe this isn't the place for you!" Nikki proceeds to go full-on Cloud Happy Land on me. I was a bad mom and my poor daughters have to suffer my negative energy (I'm not kidding), her teachers emailed prior to Sunday night (they didn't), she left me a voicemail left the day of our first visit (she didn't). And she just won't stop talking about how great she is and how her method is so amazing. It was really embarrassing from a parents perspective, just listening to her talk. I really just wanted a warm guide in the new, scary-for-mom Montessori experience; no eye contact or hi on day 1, Nikki yelling at me was too much. Where the house of cards fell though was her saying they "do it better than 99% of daycares out there" - daycare, not Montessori - so why did I have any expectation that anyone would greet me or my daughter on her first day? Ok so don't sell it as a Montessori with lofty teaching goals and home visits and community and respect, and then attack a parent who just kinda expected you'd say hi to her 1.5 year old on day 1. We were sold on the school because of Nikki's explanation of their approach. We bought the Dream. So "well it's better than 99% of daycare" is fine & your prerogative - but then put that on your website. Don't bait & switch. I talked Nikki down off the roof and apologized for expressing MY concerns. I was consciously submissive & she was fine. We hang up & I send a recap email on what we discussed: POC, paperwork, days & times etc. No joke she calls me back 2 min later and says it won't be a good fit. This to me felt controlling, like Nikki had to have last word, and spitefu read more

Our daughter has been at Ladybird for over a year now & is just thriving! Her educational development is going better than we could have ever hoped for. Ladybird is an excellent school with excellent & caring teachers. Niki Foster is so passionate about everything Montessori and it shows in every aspect of her directorial leadership of the school. She is so dear & very professional. The teachers have continuing education classes so their training stays fresh. The school is safe, educational, but most of all it is fun! Our daughter LOVES going to school each & everyday. The community is exceptionally special. I have very much enjoyed getting to know the other parents & visiting during drop-off & pick-up. Super friendly! read more

My family absolutely loved this school. My son started at the NIDO when he was just 3 months and he was there until 18 months, unfortunately, we had to move to another part of the town. It was the hardest to leave my 3 month old baby at a daycare, but Niki and the guides in the NIDO made me feel so comfortable that my baby is safe, taken care of and loved. My son learned so much being in NIDO - he is independent, brave, and open minded. Thank you, Ladybird. We miss everyone so much!! read more

Ladybird Montessori is an amazing school that provides a unique learning experience for their students. I appreciate that Ladybird is selective about who they allow to enroll knowing that one bad "fit" can negatively impact the atmosphere of the whole school and the learning environment for all the other children. It is comforting to me to know that Niki serves as the "gatekeeper" for the school and doesn't accept every applicant with a checkbook -- it's not about filling vacancies. She strives to make sure that each student and their family will fit well with the philosophy of the school and with the other students and families. read more

We were so fortunate to find this amazing community. We had a wonderful experience from day one. We have found true partners in parenting, and my two boys (5 & 1 now, son was 4 when he began) are happy to arrive each day. I think we have solid, well built communication between the teaching staff and the parents. I particularly love the support I get in the Nido (infant) community, as when your kids are older they can speak for themselves! With my baby son, it has been just awesome to talk back and forth about development, little things like teething and eating preferences, napping, etc. Both my boys have thrived and have been incredibly well taken care of here at Ladybird. You can tell that they hire smart, caring, and thoughtful teachers who really understand developmental stages of infants to 5 year olds. The difference shows! I'm so happy here. read more

We absolutely love Ladybird Montessori. Our child has attended since the day the school opened a year ago. The classrooms are full of wonderful, new, value rich Montessori materials. The school is a newly renovated home and is fresh and clean with a comfortable, homey feel. We appreciate that there is absolutely no television watching (a problem at our previously attended traditional day-care). The children are in a learning rich environment and are encouraged to learn and try new things. The teachers are highly qualified and fully engaged with the children. Our child has learned so much and enjoyed going to this school. read more

My two year old daughter has been at Ladybird since January, and we have been really happy with our experience so far. She and I toured several facilities prior to choosing the school, several of which were a little more friendly to my corporate American work schedule, but I ended up being so much more impressed with the quality of the Ladybird tour alone that I decided we would try to make it work. I'm so glad that we did. Our daughter loves her Guides, classmates and classroom, and she loves that she gets to spend so much time outside. The classroom is generally a lot cleaner than the other facilities we toured, and there are very health-conscious rules in place as far as any food the kids eat while they are at school. I go to work with peace of mind that my daughter is in a safe place with people who care about her, and a place where she is happy. When I have any questions or concerns, they are always addressed in a timely manner. The Guide and Assistant Guide do have their own children in the classroom, but I've never felt like this compromised my daughter's quality of care in any way. If anything, I feel like all of the staff is that much more invested in making sure the kids get the very best because their kids are there too. Overall, I'm really happy with the progress that our daughter has made. She has potty trained faster than I ever thought she would, and made the biggest leap in that direction within the first week of being at the school. She continues to grow socially and academically, and we can't wait to see what the future holds both for our daughter, and for the school itself. read more