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Telluride Mountain School

United States, Telluride

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The school at a glance
Instructs in English
Fees $29,900 - 35,500
Ages 3 - 18 years
Pupil numbers 98
Type Co-educational
Opened 1998
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum Montessori Curriculum, IB (DP)
Taught languages Spanish
Typical class size 8
Strengths Outdoor Education, Visual and Creative Arts, Languages
Clubs Arts and Creative, Community and Service, Leadership and Professional
Stages Preschool, Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle School, High School
Introduction

Telluride Mountain School is a PreK-12 independent, fully accredited school in Telluride, Colorado. The early years follow Montessori principles, while the upper grades pursue the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program for juniors and seniors. In grades 7–12 the program emphasizes rigorous mathematics, in-depth research skills, applied scientific inquiry, seminar-style humanities, and Spanish language immersion, alongside ongoing arts, athletics, and technology. The IB Core includes the Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge, and Creativity, Activity, and Service. IB examinations are externally moderated and can earn college credit; diplomas are issued in the summer after graduation. Experiential and outdoor education, including immersion projects and field-based learning, complements academics. The school offers strong visual arts and music programs, with the Rock and Roll Academy providing music instruction in a multimedia environment. Community service and service learning are integral, and the Student Life Curriculum supports leadership, mindfulness, and wellbeing through clubs such as robotics and theater.

Lawson Hill, 200 San Miguel River Drive, Telluride, CO 81435

The Essentials

Telluride Mountain School has 98 pupils, typical class sizes of 8, instruction in English.

Location
Lawson Hill, 200 San Miguel River Drive, Telluride, Colorado 81435. Telluride Mountain School is located in the Lawson Hill area of Telluride.

Stages
Montessori (Pre-k); Lower School (1-6); Upper School (7-12).

Type
Independent, fully-accredited PreK-12 school.

Country affiliation
United States
Diving Deeper

Food Options
Lunch and Snacks: Telluride Mountain School does not offer a food service to either students or teachers. Teachers and staff eat lunch with students in mixed-age groups. Families are encouraged to provide a healthy lunch and snack for their children and students are discouraged from bringing soft drinks to school. Seventh through twelfth grade students may walk to Cindy Bread or CounterCulture during break or lunch pending teacher discretion.

Governance and Ownership
Telluride Mountain School is a non-profit independent school. It is accredited by ACIS, NAIS, and IB. It is governed by a Board of Trustees.
Fees

Annual tuition at Telluride Mountain School ranges from USD 29,900 to USD 35,500 for 2026/27.

Application and enrollment fees

- Application fee (first-time applicants): USD 50.
- Enrollment (registration) deposit, non-refundable: USD 500 (Montessori); USD 1,200 (Grades 1–8); USD 2,000 (Grades 9–12). Deposits are required within the school's stated acceptance timeline and must be accompanied by a signed enrollment contract.

Tuition fees — day students (by school level)

- Grades 1–4: USD 22,900 per year.
- Grades 5–8: USD 24,900 per year.
- Grades 9–12: USD 26,500 per year.

Montessori (Preschool and Kindergarten) tuition (program options)

- Three-Day Morning Program (3 days, 8:45 AM–1:30 PM): USD 8,000 per year.
- Three-Day Primary Program (3 days, 8:45 AM–2:45 PM): USD 8,900 per year.
- Four-Day Primary Program (T–F, 8:45–1:30): USD 9,200 per year.
- Four-Day Primary + Nap Program (T–F, 8:45–2:45): USD 11,100 per year.
- Five-Day Primary Program (M–F, 8:45–1:30): USD 9,990 per year.
- Five-Day Primary + Nap Program (M–F, 8:45–2:45): USD 13,700 per year.
- Kindergarten Program (M–F, 8:45–2:45): USD 14,900 per year.

Other program fees and common additional costs

- Classroom supplies: tuition includes durable and consumable classroom supplies; laptop computers are not included in tuition and are the family's responsibility.
- Experiential education / trips: costs for fall multi-day outdoor education trips are included in tuition; spring multi-day experiential trip costs are only partially included (families are responsible for approximately half of spring trip costs); modest fees may be charged for off-campus excursions. Fundraising opportunities are used to help cover experiential trip costs.
- Winter sports / ski program: the optional in-house winter sports program is charged separately from tuition; lift tickets are not included and there may be modest transportation charges. Montessori winter sports (one afternoon per week for six weeks starting in January) is optional and costs USD 300 for Preschool and USD 360 for Kindergarten.
- Modest fees for specific co‑curricular activities, off‑campus excursions, or optional programs may be billed in addition to tuition.

Billing schedule and payment terms

- Grades 1–12 billing options:
- Single annual payment due in July.
- Two-installment plan (payments due in July and September).
- Monthly billing option over 10 months (July through April) is available; monthly billing is subject to a processing fee of USD 20 per month. Tuition may be paid by check, automatic withdrawal, or credit card.

- Montessori (preschool and kindergarten) billing options and processing fees (program notices show the following):
- Single annual payment (timing described on school billing materials).
- Two-installment plans noted on school materials (timing varies in published materials).
- Monthly billing over 10 months is available; published materials list either an annual processing fee or a monthly payment plan option fee for Montessori (examples shown in school materials include an annual processing fee and, on separate Montessori materials, a monthly plan option fee of USD 120 per student). Montessori tuition may be paid by check, automatic withdrawal, or credit card; credit card payments are subject to a handling fee on certain billing communications.

Refunds and contract terms

- Application fee (USD 50) is non-refundable. Enrollment deposits are non-refundable (USD 500 for Montessori; USD 1,200 for Grades 1–8; USD 2,000 for Grades 9–12). Enrollment requires a signed contract reserving the student's seat and guaranteeing payment for the entire year's tuition. These contract and deposit conditions are stated as binding in the school's admissions materials.

Accepted payment methods and payment channels

- Accepted payment methods: check, automatic withdrawal (ACH/automatic bank withdrawal), and credit card. Credit card payments may incur a handling or processing fee. The school provides a billing preference form upon enrollment.

Summary of key items parents should expect to budget for

- Annual tuition by grade level (listed above). Application fee and a non-refundable enrollment deposit at acceptance. Optional program costs (winter sports, lift tickets, experiential trip shares, occasional co‑curricular fees). Possible monthly/annual processing or handling fees when using extended billing or credit cards. Laptop computers for students are not included in tuition.

Note on available published schedules: A publicly posted, year‑specific 2026/27 or 2025/26 fee schedule was not located in the school materials accessed; the amounts and terms above are drawn from the school's posted tuition, admissions, and Montessori tuition materials. The most important fee figures and contractual items (application fee, deposit levels, tuition by grade band, billing options and processing fees, optional program charges, and accepted payment methods) are included above.
Academics

Telluride Mountain School teaches Montessori Curriculum, IB (DP) for students aged 3 to 18.

Curriculum
Telluride Mountain School is a PreK-12 independent school with Montessori for early years and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IB DP) in the upper grades. The upper school (grades 7–12) prepares students with rigorous mathematics, in-depth research skills, applied scientific inquiry, seminar-style humanities, Spanish language immersion, and ongoing arts, athletics, and technology. Juniors and seniors participate in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, with courses offered at Standard and Higher Levels where applicable. In addition to DP coursework, the IB Core comprises the Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge, and Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS). IB examinations are externally moderated and can earn college credit; diplomas are issued in the summer after graduation. Experiential and outdoor education, including immersion projects and field-based learning, complements academics.

Student Teacher Ratio
Small class sizes, typically 9 or fewer students per section.

Higher Education Progression
Telluride Mountain School provides a comprehensive college counseling program starting in ninth grade. One hundred percent of TMS students gain admission to four-year colleges or universities. Graduates often pursue study at the post-secondary level in areas connected to their experiential and outdoor education experiences.
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
The school has a full-time, in-house school counselor. Social Emotional Learning is embedded in daily interactions and routines. The school is adding intentional SEL programming to help students develop greater self- and social-awareness, manage their emotions, establish healthy relationships, and make responsible choices. SEL programming includes homeroom lessons focusing on emotional vocabulary and regulation, sex education, and high school Mental Health First Aid training. Regular SEL coffee talks provide parent education and conversation on topics related to child and adolescent development. Ongoing program development will align with an external curriculum and expand health education classes.

Mental Wellbeing
The school has a full-time, in-house school counselor who provides mental health services to students. High school Mental Health First Aid training is part of the program.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
The school offers a rigorous core academic program that emphasizes literacy and critical thinking. It also features a strong visual arts program and a music program, each with formal instruction and opportunities outside the classroom. Interdisciplinary learning, writing across the curriculum, and experiential components are emphasized throughout the curriculum.

Arts & Creative
The Rock and Roll Academy is an independent contractor that provides music instruction to Telluride Mountain School students. It is an experiential music program that emphasizes the musical, technological, and social aspects of students' creative processes within a multimedia environment. The program aims to teach students to play music, use technology creatively, express themselves, and develop social responsibility.

Community & Service
Community service and service learning are integral to the Telluride Mountain School experience. Class trips integrate core values, community service, and outdoor education, giving students opportunities to serve as part of learning. Students are encouraged to include internships or volunteer projects in their schedules, and school trips extend beyond the local community to include service-learning components.

Leadership & Professional
The Student Life Curriculum includes weekly Morning Meetings, homeroom meetings, a Social-Emotional Learning program, multi-age activities, and a Student Leadership Committee. There is a strong tradition of students participating in Telluride club and school sports, as well as activities such as robotics and theater, with coaches who are educators first and foremost. These experiences cultivate leadership, teamwork, and practical skills that support students beyond academics.

Lifestyle & Wellbeing
The Outdoor Education Program teaches students mountain, desert, and river-related sports, while integrating natural science, history, and environmental stewardship into learning. The Athletic Education Curriculum focuses on learning, personal growth, goal setting, and perseverance as part of an education in athletics. The school also emphasizes social-emotional learning, mindfulness, and digital citizenship through counseling and related programs to support student wellbeing.
Languages

Language Provision
Spanish is taught at Telluride Mountain School in both Lower School (Grades 1–6) and Upper School (Grades 7–12). Spanish language instruction is part of the arts and foreign language offerings, delivered by language specialists in foreign language classes. In ninth and tenth grades, experiential travel features an intensive study of Spanish language paired with a homestay. Upper School includes a dedicated Spanish program as part of the curriculum.
Reputation

Accreditations
Telluride Mountain School is a fully-accredited PreK-12 independent school.
School Events
The school has not added events
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