I cannot express my gratitude and appreciation for this great school and the amazing administrative and teaching staff. I put my son in this school for 3 years and now he has graduated to elementary school. This school made my son a child who respects everyone and deals with the world like a big person! From a scientific standpoint, he is capable of reading books in a very clear and impressive way, as well as writing! I was very impressed when I saw him doing mathematics at a very high level... If I could give a million stars of appreciation, it would not be enough for this excellent staff. Thank you with all my heart to this great school. read more

Run, don't walk to enroll or get on the LHM wait list. I cannot tell you how much I love this school for my son! Admittedly, I knew very little about the Montessori program before we enrolled him at the Bee Cave location, but my family highly recommends it for your little one. My son was challenged, engaged and LOVED going to school everyday. His teachers Ms. Kaci and Mr. Joshua are amazing, smart, compassionate, fun (we had exposure to other educators there as well and think very highly of them too). Their director, Ms. Kate is intelligent and runs this location beautifully. The value is comparable to other private schools we toured in the Lakeway area, but I found their team warmer and their curriculum to be superior. I am forever thankful we found our way to this school! read more

My great- grandson attends this school and I can't say enough wonderful things about it. Their methods really work as they teach the children to be self sufficient as they grow. They learn responsibility from the beginning. Safety is always a great concern and they have the best measures set in place I have ever seen, I feel my great-grandson is in a very secure location. I highly recommend this school. Granny read more

This is our first year at Lake Hills Montessori and are quite pleased! We selected Lake Hills Montessori after touring multiple other schools and speaking with many currently enrolled parents who highly recommended it. We also are able to compare with other schools as our older children have attended others and felt confident that this was the right choice for our son. And we have not been disappointed. For starters, they foster an environment that enables children to grown and learn through play based learning. The staff are welcoming, nurturing and it is evident they truly care about these kiddos. I have observed their patience and kindness in particular one of the Directors who greats the children everyone morning as they walk in. She knows just how to engage my son and get him excited about the day. When we pick up our little guy each day, he is exuberant, happy and always excited to show me what he has made/drawn, etc. that day. read more

I have two sons who have been going to Lake Hills for almost 2 years. My youngest just moved to the P1s today and he was so excited. I did so much research into preschools for my little's now aged 3 and 4 1/2, toured almost all Montessori's and there was just no comparison to LHM. We fell in LOVE immediately during my tour with Sandi. If you want the best of Montessori in Austin/Bee Cave, I would go no where else but Lake Hills Montessori School. We plan on having our littles there to Kindergarten. Love y'all and everyone who works there...y'all are truly amazing, read more

Our two daughters currently attend LHM Bee Cave but have spent time at both the LHM locations. Before we attended LHM we attended one the best rated child development schools in Austin, Tx. When we moved out west we decided to explore Montessori options since my husband was raised from 2.5-6 years old in a Montessori school. This was MY first experience with a Montessori program. While our past traditional daycare/schools did a good job we soon found LHM and I knew we found our forever home. When I was first introduced to Montessori I was told "Montessori is suitable for all children, however, Montessori is not for all families." This couldn't be more true. There is always an adjustment period when your child starts a new school. Montessori taught me that our kids have a much better attention span if I limit their sugar in take in the morning and at lunch (haha- learning curve here) but it couldn't be more true. It has also taught us to empower our children to be independent (walking into class with out Mom or Dad). For us it is the reason our children thrive when it comes to learning. It is the reason they can focus for 3 hours on a task at 2.5 and 4 years old. My kids are kind to all children and leave no child playing alone on a playground. I'm not saying Montessori is the only way to shape your children into great human beings but the way LHM sticks to their values every single day it is 100% the reason my children will grow up with a foundation that sets them up for success. People say it takes a village to raise your children and LHM is our village. Most importantly, they love my babies. Ms. Kate at the Bee Cave location greets my daughter every morning. She wipes her tears and celebrates her big all the time. I see her make my child feel safe and loved and have also witnessed this with each child that walks through that door every morning. My oldest talks about every single teacher at this school in the most loving way (even the teachers that don't directly work with her). When we switched from the Cuernavaca location right when Covid-19 started it was a seamless transition. Sandy (the owner) and her entire staff really stepped up during that time, and they continue to every. single. day. Marie and Reshmi lead my girls classes and do a fantastic job. They provide love and they challenge my children to be the best versions of themselves while allowing them to explore and learn at their own pace. When you tour this school, know your children will be in great hands. Give them some time to find their way and you will see them thrive in ways that will blow you away. read more

All 3 of my kids to have attended Lake Hills Montessori and I can not say enough good things about the school, teachers and the support staff. Ms Kate has been a godsend and wonderful person to deal with. We attended a few other Montessori schools over the years, in a few different states, and LHM has been amazing. read more

There are so many negative things I have to say about this place, I don't know where to begin. First, it's very expensive. They are charging almost $1800 in the summer when the student material fee is added in. They don't even provide meals for this cost; the parents have to make them ourselves. This Montessori also has very limited hours. When they first reduced their hours, they claimed they were doing it temporarily. Then, I think they got used to working so little for so much pay, so they decided to make it permanent. They also take off numerous days each month for just extra, nonsensical things. They also follow the public school schedule, so take off every day that public school takes off plus extra "teacher days." I suppose that's a supply and demand thing as there are not a lot of day cares here. Basically, they know they can almost get away with murder. This leads to another point. The facilities are very unsafe for children. Nothing is soft. No corners are padded or protected. They have concrete, asphalt, and rocks outside, and tons of things with sharp edges. They have a tripping point inside. They also have an ever-rotating staff and too few staff members to watch the kids. When my inevitably kid got hurt by this combination of things (a few times he got hurt very badly), they also had the audacity each and every time to send us an email telling us how uncoordinated he is or what we need to "work on" with him. It's funny that he never gets hurt when with us. But we have child-proofed our home and watch him when he's with us. The truth is that he is not uncoordinated; he just has a lot of energy. I'm sure he got hurt when running around hanging on things (in fact, they admitted this was the case one time - he fell down while hanging on something..."well, why did anybody let him HANG ON anything!!! **insert choice swearword**). The have simply too few "teachers" (and I use that word extremely loosely - see below) for the number of children they have and none seem to have the "parent radar" for danger. But it's Montessori, right? At least the kids must learn something? Well, even though they treat themselves like they are a school by following all the public school holidays, etc., I don't think my son learned anything while he was there except for bad manners!! After he started attending there, he learned extreme boundaries. He started screaming "No! Mine!" at our house every day. Or "No. Walk away!" He also started making strange, impatient noises. As far as Academics, all the "enrichment activities" that Montessori promised he would have before we signed up, like Music and Spanish, were lies. They seem to have no formal curriculum at all. The kids just seem free to run around Madmax and the Thunderdome style. I also don't think most of the staff members have qualifications to be teachers. Our son's academic knowledge degraded almost inversely proportionately with the rise in his bad manners. In summary, if you want to spend a fortune, spend time making food every day, have to take time off work to pick your children up early each day, as well as all the other numerous times they take extra days off, put up with your children getting hurt due to their lack of supervision and unsafe environment, and then have them blame you for it, watch as your kids learn bad manners, while also learning almost nothing academically, by all means, send them to this Montessori. If the name "Montessori" has any value, this school should not be entitled to carry it. Don't be fooled by this name. If you have any choice at all, do not send your children to this place! read more

If I could give this place a 0 I would. The management is obviously disorganized and treat their staff terribly. I would not trust mistreated staff with the safety of my child. I recommend taking your child where the staff is treated with respect. read more

Our 4-year old son has been enrolled at Lake Hills for a year and a half - he started in pre-primary and moved into the primary program over a year ago. We have been thrilled with his teachers and the program to date - they are warm, positive and do a great job tailoring learning to individuals. The environment is calm and peaceful, and we appreciate the values and life skills they help to model. read more

Did observations at both Cedars and Mariposa Montessori. Much higher quality programs! I'm glad to see that there are authentic montessori programs in the city. Don't let this place turn you off of montessori, it's a wonderful educational/care-giving approach, and this poorly run program doesn't do it justice. PS- check the reviews at the bottom under "not currently recommended". Very informative. People need to know. read more

My husband is a strong believer in Montessori and he went to Montessori himself. He still cannot figure out why our kids twins hated LHM/Montessori considering the twins look exactly like him and he loved his Montessori school. The twins cried every morning for at least one hour and every time we picked them up for almost a month. They were so upset and they even had nightmares. We thought that we should try it another month but I just do not have the heart to see them suffer so much from going to LHM. The teachers tried; however, they are not able to bond with the girls. The directors indicated that I (the mom) may pass my negative attitude and stress toward LHM to the girls as if I don't want my own kids to do well in school. The curriculum needs to be improved; traditional Montessori needs to be combined with new trends in early childhood education. Twins have to be separated into two different classrooms at age 3? There are no music, dance, Spanish, or movement classes in the morning. The 3 hours Montessori work time letting kids to focus on their self-directed learning activities sounds great in theory but does not work for my twins. My twins enjoy music, dance, story time, and imaginary play. They think LHM is too boring, teachers are not easy to approach, and the learning materials are too hard for them to play by themselves. We had to withdrew them from LHM. It took us a while to help them forget about LHM or preschool. Every time someone mentioned LHM or preschool, they were in tears and they were so afraid that we will be send back to HLM. We decided to switch to a different play-based program. It only took them an hour to warm up with the new teachers and they love the new school. They even asked why they cannot go to school on weekends. If your kids hate a preschool, please don't let them suffer and switch to a different program. I hoped that we did not send them to LHM/Montessori because it was the worst month in my life. I am so happy that we found a play-based preschool my twins like. read more

Lake Hills Montessori on Cuernavaca was like a second home for my son Tyler who started school there at the age of 2. Throughout his entire time at LHM, he was shown the utmost respect, kindness, and love that any parent would hope for. Sandy, the director at LHM is truly a sounding board for the school and overseas each campus with such ease. Sharla, the assistant director became like a sister to me! She was always there to help me and Tyler along with any new transition and she did so with such love and patience. Sharla values the opinions and the suggestions of each parent so very much and she finds a way to connect with each child so brilliantly. In addition, Kimberly was Tyler's primary teacher in his last year at LHM and he just adored her...as did I. She is extremely knowledgeable and communicates with the children in the most seamless and caring way possible. She is a remarkable example of a true Montessori teacher. Over the years, Tyler not only learned to foster his own independence, but he gained a deep desire to care for others. So do I recommend LHM to fellow parents? No! Instead I insist that they take a leap of faith and give their child a chance to truly trust in themselves and allow LHM to lay a solid foundation and prepare them for life. read more

We love LHM! We were a little nervous to start him at a new school but everyone made us feel very welcome right away. We have already seen a big change in our son's eating, speaking and over all, him. We love that they treat them like the young man that he is. He runs out of the door in the morning for school and is sad when I pick him up, because he doesn't want to leave.. ( That's a good sign ) He loves it there and we love seeing he grow and learn! The teachers are all there to help and answer any questions at anytime. I can't say enough good things about their program. We love it here! Thanks to each of them for being wonderful! read more

Two of our daughters have attended Lake Hills Montessori, and we've been so happy with the experience. We've specifically had Ms. Dina and Ms. Barbara and felt both ladies really cared about our girls, and created positive, productive Montessori classrooms. The staff is extremely respectful with the kids, parents, and each other. I would characterize everyone at LHM as helpful and kind. I feel as though they really want to see my kids succeed. Our current teacher, Ms. Barbara is an expert on Montessori method and kids. She has good ideas if an issue comes up and I need a suggestion. She knows what the children are working on in class, what they are good at, and what they need to work on. Plus, she's extremely available. I've always felt welcome to ask questions or just talk about how school is going. This has been our experience with each teacher at LHM! Each child begins work when they are ready. Although the children are challenged with math and reading above grade level, there is no pressure to hurry up and learn something for a test. The kids are excited to learn and feel confident they are capable of doing the tasks because the teachers help them begin. The directions are child friendly, as is the entire classroom. The kids learn through very small, concrete steps they can accomplish that create a very firm foundation for learning. My girls have been encouraged to learn by work that is fun and interesting. LHM does not give out rewards for good work, the kids learn to intrinsicly appreciate their accomplishments. The work has been motivation enough to want to learn more. Getting to work with golden beads is a big-deal fun! When I pick up my daughter, the children are always engaged in meaningful work or play and are contently busy. There is a certain calm in the room I really like. I love what I see coming home as well. My child makes beautiful maps, sews, and paints. I am astounded by the math my 5 year old brings home and she is reading well above state expectations. The kids are encouraged to make good choices for themselves and become leaders. Classroom management is very positive, and I've seen amazingly little need for discipline. The bottom line is ***LHM is about giving kids opportunities.*** One last positive: The playground is absolutely beautiful! read more

We LOVE Lake Hills Montessori! My five year old has been attending LHM since Fall 2017 and has had a great experience. We've noticed a very positive change in her attitude about school, her confidence and independence, and her happiness. She even asks to go to school on the weekends! The teachers are extremely knowledgeable, kind, and open to working with us on anything that we need. The school is clean, organized, and well run. The entrance and playground are AMAZING, with a faerie garden, play houses, swings, vegetable garden, trees for shade and more. It's just beautiful! We love all of the after school events that make LHM not just a school, but a wonderful community. read more

We have been a member of the Lake Hills Montessori family for nearly 5 years. My daughter excelled so much that we kept her here for kindergarten and did not transition her to elementary school until 1st grade. She was reading at a third grade level and her transition was seamless! Now my son is starting year 3 at LHM and he is excelling in all disciplines of the classroom. He looks forward to every school day and is very happy. While the school has experienced change over the last few years, I find they remain dedicated to my child and have worked very hard to provide a consistent and nurturing environment for him. read more

Pleasant facility, but preK was too crowded! 27 kids and 1 teacher, 1 aid. Took my kid to a school with 1:8.

This school is worth the trip over to take the "tour". I went on a Tuesday morning and was very impressed with the staff and especially the students. All the students were totally engaged individually with their "work". The classrooms were very quiet and the children were doing everything from life skills (like washing dishes...or in this case a potato), art (painting), working on math problems on a large mat on the floor, using tweezers to pick up small grains and collect them in a cup and another child was working on identifying invertebrates! For a school full of 3 to 6 yr olds to be so intent and peaceful in a room full of activities was remarkable! Even the "young primary" classroom was clean and well organized. The large playground was mostly tree-covered with several play house areas and a interesting tall playscape... The playground for the toddlers was also really nice with a covered pavilion and misters for the small ones and in the back is a garden area where the children learn to grow and harvest a variety of plants and vegetables. I found the classrooms open and not crowded. A definite hidden jewel in West Lake!. read more

My child has been at Lake Hills for two years and we couldn't be happier. I frequently observe the children gardening, involved in art project and doing fun things like yoga. It is such a peaceful and calm environment with a good vibe. For what its worth all of our interactions with the morning/afternoon teachers and management have been positive. It is so nice to have quality childcare in our neighborhood. read more

My child attend this school for a year... He doesn't want to go there and would cry often to the point where the teachers "blamed" that it's home issues and hinted that we, parents, did not do enough and even hinted that he may have learning issues. We almost believed them but my gut feeling tell me to try a different school (Lupine Lane) to see. HOLY MOLY, he has transformed into totally different kid!!!!! He learned so much in few months and so so so HAPPY. There's nothing wrong with him. Now I "blame" the Lake Hills Montessori school, teachers, and overcrowded class that they are the problem. They said there's teacher and teacher aid with 25 kids - really? More than often, I saw that one teacher will tend to 25 students and the aid may be on break or dealing with one needy child or vice versa. And they FORCE all kids to nap in totally dark room for almost 2 hours then hurry get kids out to play (just woken up - still in zombie stage) for maybe 10 minutes just before parents come to pick them up. They did not keep me updated with my child's progress. At Lupine Lane, wow they communicate with parents often unlike Lake Hills. I feel that Lake Hills is not about child's well being, it's about $$$$$. I am disappointed that I have wasted 1 and half year there. But glad I made the change! read more

Wow. What a SAD disaster. What a disappointment. Could have been a great school for my kids, in my great neighborhood. Unfortunately, it's true, they seem to care more about money and numbers than they do the children, or the staff. They let staff go without notifying parents, cram classrooms with children, and have no tolerance for children with any extra needs. It is clear that the office has no idea what it is doing, specifically this supposed "admin" named Sharla.. I got such a bad feeling from this place. We know tons of families (and staff) who have left unhappy. Only redeeming quality are a few excellent teachers, but they dont seem very happy here either. Huge bummer for me and my family. Convenience is not worth the heartless administrative atmosphere. We (our family, as well as many others) adamantly do not recommend this high-turnover school environment. This post is kept nameless as I've heard the owner, Sandy, enjoys trash talking families who disagree with her "views". read more