Telluride Mountain School

In just over a decade, Telluride Mountain School has grown from a home school for six children to a fully accredited member of the National Association of Independent Schools. Today the school serves approximately 120 students in pre-K through high school.

The Mountain School was founded in 1998 with a handful of students and a single teacher working around a kitchen table. Three local families came together at that time to realize a shared vision: an exceptional learning environment that would inspire and ground their children in challenging academics, outdoor education, a values-based curriculum and service learning. A single instructor led the school's first students in their studies and explorations, in what was then aptly called "a school without walls."

The Mountain School's preschool and kindergarten program began as a separate school, Telluride Montessori School. This school was founded in 1995 with five preschoolers and two teachers working together in the basement of a church in the Town of Telluride. In 2003, the school expanded to a full-day program in two classrooms.

Recognizing a shared mission and values, Telluride Mountain School officially merged with Telluride Montessori School in 2004. The two schools now work under one 501(c)(3) designation, a single Board of Trustees and a single administration. Both programs share a common mission and core values, with coordinated guiding principles reflecting the age levels of the children served.