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The Children's House

5363 N Long Lake Rd Traverse City, MI 49685

Quick Facts (2026-27)

  • School Type: Montessori School
  • Grades: Prekindergarten-8
  • Enrollment: 251 students
  • Average class size: 20 students
  • Application Deadline: Mar. 1 / Jun. 1 / rolling
  • Source: ✓Verified school update
School location map

Quick Facts (2026-27)

  • School Type: Montessori School
  • Grades: Prekindergarten-8
  • Enrollment: 251 students
  • Average class size: 20 students
  • Application Deadline: Mar. 1 / Jun. 1 / rolling
  • Source: ✓Verified school update

School Facts

School Type
Religious Affiliation
Grades Offered
Grades Prekindergarten-8
Students By Grade
Year Founded
1984
Summer School Offered
Yes
Summer Program Details
School Calendar

Student Body

Total Students
251 students
Student Body Type
Co-ed
% Students of Color
7%
State avg.: 19%

Academic Profile

Total Classroom Teachers
14 teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
18:1
National avg.:
Average Class Size
20 students
Classroom Dress Code
Casual

Tuition & Financial Aid

Admission Deadline
Mar. 1 / Jun. 1 / rolling
Tuition Notes
Tuition differs based upon program and hours of attendance.
Summer Program Cost Notes
Summer tuition differs based upon program and hours of attendance.
% on Financial Aid
25%
Admissions Director
Missy Russell
Application URL

School Notes

  • The Children's House is a Montessori school dedicated to providing a learning environment that guides, nurtures and enriches the individual.
  • Partnering with families to raise exceptional learners, the Children's House offers year-round, all day, developmentally-appropriate programs for students, as well as educational opportunities for parents. We create a social fabric for families and support for meaningful communication between the school and the home.
  • The Suttons Bay Children`s House was founded in 1984 by Gretchen Uhlinger, an AMI trained Montessori guide who was looking for a Montessori program for her two young daughters. That first year of operation, the school offered one toddler class for children 18 to 36 months with Colleen Christensen as the guide, one primary class for 3 to 6 year olds led by Gretchen, after school child care, and parenting classes in a renovated farm house in the village of Suttons Bay. In 1976 Marie Scott, a Montessori guide and parent of young children, founded The Montessori Children`s Center in Traverse City. It was located in a house on Rose Street and soon after moved to The First Congregational Church on Center Road.
  • In 1988, The Montessori Children's Center in Traverse City united with The Suttons Bay Children`s House under one nonprofit corporation and continued to operate in both locations. While the Traverse City program grew, satellite programs were offered at the Unitarian Fellowship on Center Road and atCentral Grade School. The Traverse City program moved to a new location on West Royal Drive in 1998. The Suttons Bay program left the farm house and moved to the Royal Drive building in the fall of 2001.Today the School enrolls more than 230 children on an 8-acre rural campus on North Long Lake Road just west of Traverse City, Michigan.
  • The new campus opened in the fall of 2002 and was architecturally designed to enhance the Montessori philosophy and teaching method. Programs are offered year-round for children between the ages of 3 months and 14 years, infant through 8th grade. Before and after school child care is available to enrolled children.
Source: Verified school update

Frequently Asked Questions

What schools are The Children's House often compared to?
The Children's House is often viewed alongside schools like The Pathfinder School by visitors of our site.
Does The Children's House offer a summer program?
Yes, The Children's House offers a summer program. Visit their for more information.
When is the application deadline for The Children's House?
The application deadline for The Children's House is Mar. 1 / Jun. 1 / rolling (applications are due on Mar. 1 / Jun. 1 but additional applications are reviewed year-round as space permits ).

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Did You Know?

The average private school tuition in Traverse City, MI is $6,599 for elementary schools (read more about average private school tuition across the country).

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