Cleveland Montessori holds an honored place in the long history of educational opportunities in Little Italy. Originally founded as the Montessori School at Holy Rosary (MSHR), the school was organized as a grassroots effort to meet the educational needs of the parish of Holy Rosary and neighborhood of Little Italy. The school was organized to offer a Montessori curriculum within an atmosphere of Christian faith and ideals. This was accomplished through the inclusion of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and collaboration with Holy Rosary Parish. The first MSHR class in 1995 included fourteen preschool students. Each year a grade was added – until the school was offering a Montessori education from pre-school to 6th grade.

As our graduates entered adolescence, parents helped spearhead the opening of a Middle School for 7th and 8th graders. So in 2007 we began our first middle school class. The program is now established and growing. The adolescent program is within a 15-minute walk to University Circle which encourages use of the many cultural resources available.

With our unique mix of suburban and urban enrollment, in conjunction with multiple sources of tuition support, we have been able to offer a Montessori education to children from diverse economic, religious, and cultural backgrounds. To reflect this unique representation of students from the Greater Cleveland area, the school changed its name in 2013 to Cleveland Montessori. In January of 2016, the growing school moved to a newly renovated, historic facility shared with the Alta House.