Beginning with the 2024-25 school year, George Watts Montessori will be both a neighborhood school as well as an application Montessori school serving the Central and Southeast regions of Durham Public Schools. A portion of the seats in our school are reserved for students residing in our neighborhood boundary, while another of the seats in our school are reserved for the DPS application lottery. 

The 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years will be transition years for the implementation of the new school assignment plan. For additional details about how this impacts George Watts Montessori, you can learn more from the FAQs (ENG/SPA).

For students in kindergarten - grade 3:

• • If you live within our neighborhood boundary, your student will not need to apply through the lottery. GWM will be their assigned elementary school.
  • If you do not live within our neighborhood boundary, you must apply through the application lottery in order to obtain a seat in a Montessori program for your child. GWM will be the Montessori school option for the Central and Southeastern regions only.

For students in grades 4 and 5 for the 2024-25 school year, students will remain at their currently assigned school as legacy students. 

For students in pre-K, all seats are assigned through the application lottery. Students must be four years old by August 31st to enter pre-k.   

The application window for the 2025-26 school year will run from January 6 through January 31st, 2025. The application window will close promptly at 5:00 pm on January 31st.

For additional information, we recommend you review our virtual tour.                                                                        

If you would like additional information after watching the virtual tour, please contact our Montessori Coordinator, Melissa Blalock, at (919) 560-3947 extension 47223 or Melissa_Blalock@dpsnc.net                                                                                                                                                                                   

There is a pre-k fee for both Watts and Morehead Montessori Schools. The fee is based on a sliding scale. Please visit www.dpsnc.net/Page/722 for more information about the pre-k fee.